# DFA mistakes we keep seeing

**URL:** https://sierraconnect.protoexpress.com/t/dfa-mistakes-we-keep-seeing/4509
**Category:** Design for Assembly
**Tags:** dfa
**Created:** [September 22, 2026, 4:21pm UTC](https://sierraconnect.protoexpress.com/t/dfa-mistakes-we-keep-seeing/4509 "2026-09-22T16:21:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![atar.mittal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sierraconnect/user_avatar/sierraconnect.protoexpress.com/atar.mittal/32/49_2.png) [@atar.mittal](https://sierraconnect.protoexpress.com/u/atar.mittal)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2026, 4:21pm UTC](https://sierraconnect.protoexpress.com/t/dfa-mistakes-we-keep-seeing/4509/1 "2026-09-22T16:21:47Z")

</div>

Our PCB house has seen plenty of boards that were perfectly manufacturable… until it was time to assemble them.

A few DFA mistakes that cause more trouble than they should:

- Components placed too close to the board edge
- Connectors that are difficult to access after assembly
- Poor component orientation that complicates assembly or inspection
- Large differences in component size or thermal mass that make soldering harder
- Missing or inaccessible test points
- Silkscreen/reference designators hidden under components
- Not leaving enough room for rework
- Designing the PCB without considering how it will actually be assembled, inspected, and tested

The last one is probably the biggest.

**A board being manufacturable doesn’t automatically mean it’s easy to assemble!!**

You should read this [guide](https://www.protoexpress.com/pcb-design-guides/dfa-handbook/?utm_source=sierraconnect&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=feed%2B2026):

[![DFA Handbook](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/sierraconnect/original/1X/a9d81fc3b7351f676161b41f1ee480a801812718.png)](https://www.protoexpress.com/pcb-design-guides/dfa-handbook/?utm_source=sierraconnect&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=feed%2B2026)