Fixture Design

With the current PCB assembly complexity and electronics component miniaturization, developing Test Fixtures without a thorough design process is not possible.

The days of randomly assembling push rods and support around the fixture are over. Today not only the clearance between fixture parts and board components needs to carefully considered and measured, but Design For Test and Fixture Design Rules need to be part of the design process in order to make the testing process reliable and the fixture handling user-friendly and safe.

We have developed a Fixture Design Process that incorporates the Design for Test and Fixture Design Rules into a CAD Standard Platform. Our Fixture Design Process offers the advantages of a free and flexible CAD drawing tool that enable us to design fixtures with a high level of flexibility and precision while ensuring that Design for Test and Fixture Design Rules are automatically incorporated into the design.

T-1 Photo of a CAD design close up showing small distances of board’s components to test probes and board’s components to push fingers

Our Fixture Design Process integrates the fixture components, the PCB assembly CAD drawing, the fixture files and all required test devices into one CAD drawing. This process enables us to recognize any displacement between PCB assembly CAD file and fixture files as well as to measure any distance between fixtures and PCB assembly components. It also permits us to address any infringement of the Design for Test Rules and to communicate with our customers and test software developers using accurate visual information.

T-2 Photo of a CAD design close up showing small distances of board’s components to test probes and board’s components to push fingers

After finishing the fixture design, we send our customers the final Fixture CAD Drawing for review and validation. The Final Fixture Design is a Multilayer PDF file that shows a detailed view of any fixture element or feature. This process permits our customers to revise and eventually inform us of any desired change prior to starting the manufacturing process.

T-3 pdf document showing the full fixture design

By integrating all fixture components, PCBA’s CAD files, fixture files, and testing devices into one drawing we are able to generate CAD and CNC files for each fixture plate that include all milling and drilling work. This process permits us to fully manufacture each fixture plate in only one operation increasing accuracy and avoiding large tolerances in the drilled holes and milled cavities.

T-4 Video of the PRIM CAM program showing a KTP milling process

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