Siemens Adds PCB Flow to Accelerator Product Family
Support collaboration and communication between PCB designers and manufacturers.
Accelerate PCB production with over 1,000 DFM checks available.


On the 21st, Siemens announced 'PCBflow', a cloud-based software solution for safe and efficient integration of PCB design and manufacturing processes.

PCBFlow, part of Siemens' Xcelerator™ portfolio, accelerates the PCB design-to-manufacturing process by enabling rapid, online design-for-manufacturing (DFM) analysis.

Powered by the Valor™ NPI software engine, PCB Flow performs over 1,000 DFM checks. PCB design teams can quickly identify factors that could impede manufacturability. Analyzed manufacturing risks are classified and prioritized based on severity. By providing images and locations in the design, users can easily identify and modify them.

“PCBflow is a product design tool that supports comprehensive collaboration between designers and manufacturers with feedback control mechanisms that drive continuous improvement,” said Dan Hoz, general manager, Valo Business Unit, Siemens Digital Industries Software. “Customers’ designs are aligned with the fab’s production capabilities, reducing redesign and verification work, accelerating time to market, optimizing board quality and improving yields.”

As a Software as a Service (SaaS) technology, PCBFlow adheres to Siemens Software's security standards, reducing risk and protecting intellectual property (IP) without requiring additional IT investments. Furthermore, it integrates with the Mendix™ low-code application development platform to support rapid digital transformation.

It requires no special training or prerequisites and can be accessed from virtually anywhere, including smartphones and tablets. It provides designers with images, brief related messages, numerical information, and precise locations of solderability issues and other PCB design defects. Reports are available online in PDF format. It supports IPC 2581, an ODB++™ language design file format, with additional formats planned for 2021.