Tool bridges gap between electrical & mechanical workflows

10th February 2015

Altium Limited

Siobhan O'Gorman

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A PCB design tool, developed to enhance the workflow collaboration between electrical and mechanical designers, has been released by Altium. Developed to address the communication and file compatibility issues experienced by electrical and mechanical design teams, PCBWorks provides a set of collaboration tools to integrate design data with SolidWorks mechanical design software.

The PCB design tool, which features an easy-to-use interface that works alongside existing mechanical workflows in SolidWorks, offers a set of schematic capture and PCB layout tools. Design data between components and mechanical enclosures are linked seamlessly between electrical and mechanical workflows, with the world’s first-ever managed Engineering Change Orders process delivering changes in design data from SolidWorks to PCBWorks using native SolidWorks files.

By using PCBWorks, mechanical designers can manage design changes in an existing workflow environment in SolidWorks. This added functionality allows design teams to change component placement, board shapes and mounting holes of PCBs in SolidWorks without interrupting existing mechanical workflows. Board assemblies from PCBWorks can also be opened in SolidWorks, with included copper information for deeper analysis and simulation options.

“Collaboration issues between ECAD and MCAD workflows have always been a thorn in the side of engineering teams,” said Jason Hingston, CTO, Altium. “PCBWorks dramatically shifts the landscape of how electronic and mechanical engineers work together, making the design process virtually seamless between ECAD and MCAD teams.”

Altium will be showcasing PCBWorks at SolidWorks World 2015, which takes place from 8^th to 11^th February, in Phoenix, AZ.