Aug 10, 2011 
ACD, a leading supplier to the electronics industry, has taken CAM and Gerber checks to a new level with its new virtual PCB layer overlay.
“Going paperless on our manual design checks allows us to respond quicker at a lower cost, while reducing the amount of velum going to the landfill. Our designers did a great job creating this process,” commented W. Scott Fillebrown, ACD’s President & CEO.
Using post script and photo editing software, ACD is able to simulate the paper in black and white, and change the opacity and force a vellum appearance. The designers are able to change the pages they view and simulate a “pinched paper slide.”
Using a 42" LCD display, ACD is now able to view the plots in actual size and the software permits designers to zoom in to verify tight areas. In the past, only one designer could do the Gerber check. Now, the company has two work stations set up, allowing simultaneous reviews. ACD now can verify high profile designs and not threaten a start date in fabrication.
Founded in 1984, ACD’s services comprise complete board layout services, ATE engineering services, DFM/DFA capability, printed circuit fabrication, component procurement, SMT and thru-hole mixed technology assembly, box build, rework, X-Ray, flying probe and functional test, and development.
