Accuphase Laboratories: Enhancing Audio Product Quality with Altium Designer
Technology Category
- Processors & Edge Intelligence - Microcontrollers & Printed Circuit Boards
- Sensors - Acoustic Sensors
Applicable Industries
- Electronics
- Glass
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Construction Management
- Visual Quality Detection
Services
- Hardware Design & Engineering Services
- Testing & Certification
About The Customer
Accuphase Laboratories is a respected Japanese manufacturer of state-of-the-art audio products that are hand-built using innovative electronics and precise construction techniques. The company was established in 1972 by a skilled group of audio experts and engineers who conceived the successful Accuphase line of audio equipment. The name Accuphase is a combination of the word ‘accurate’ and the parameter the company considers the most important factor in audio technology - ‘phase’. The company regards the quality of the printed circuit boards used in their audio products to have a direct link to the unit’s sonic quality, and therefore places a high emphasis on the design layout and electrical properties of their boards.
The Challenge
Accuphase Laboratories, a renowned Japanese manufacturer of high-end audio products, faced a challenge in maintaining the quality and consistency of their circuit board production while reducing research and development time cycles. The company operates in a specialized industry similar to the luxury car market, where product development is focused on innovative, high-quality design rather than low-cost production. Accuphase does not release a regular stream of new products like mainstream consumer electronics companies, but it does respond to customer needs by bringing new and innovative products to market as quickly as possible. This approach requires an extremely iterative design process based on sequential circuit refinement in response to both subjective and objective performance testing. As a result, many prototypes are built, tested, and auditioned through the development process, creating short, critical PCB design cycles for the Accuphase engineers.
The Solution
To meet their requirements for a precise, highly productive PCB development system, Accuphase selected Altium Designer for their board-level design engineers. Altium Designer’s highly integrated and intuitive design environment allows the Accuphase engineers to produce high-quality board designs within short deadlines while maintaining close control of the entire process from conception through to completion. Unlike most design solutions based on a collection of partially integrated or linked design tools, Altium Designer offers seamless integration through the various design stages in a single, efficient application. This allows Accuphase to tightly manage their PCB design and production process while maintaining the high-quality results expected of their products.
Operational Impact
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