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QWR Interactive Solutions · Engineering Reference

Design for Manufacturing Guide

Hardware guidelines for partners, OEMs, and developers building with QWR. Covers electronics, mechanical enclosures, XR optics, and material specifications — from prototype to production.

4

Sections

Rev 1.0

Version

02 Apr 2026

Last Updated

Active

Status

Section 01

PCB & Electronics

Layout rules, component clearances, signal integrity, and testability requirements. All PCBs must conform before fabrication. Deviations require written sign-off from QWR Engineering.

Board Specifications

ParameterMinimumRecommendedNotes
Min trace width0.1 mm0.15 mmSignal traces; power traces per IPC-2221
Min trace spacing0.1 mm0.15 mmIncrease for high-voltage rails (>50 V)
Min via drill0.2 mm0.3 mmMicro-vias require DFM review
Min annular ring0.125 mm0.15 mmAll drill classes
Board thickness0.6 mm1.0 mmXR form-factor targets: 0.8 mm
Copper weight (outer)1 oz1 oz2 oz for power stages
Edge clearance0.3 mm0.5 mmAll copper from board edge

Component Placement

Critical

Keepout zones

Maintain a 3 mm component-free keepout on all board edges. Connectors are exempt only if deliberately edge-mounted.

Critical

Heatsink clearance

No components taller than 0.5 mm within 2 mm of any active heatsink or thermal pad footprint.

Recommended

SMD orientation uniformity

Align passive components in consistent orientations to optimise the reflow profile and reduce tombstoning risk.

Recommended

Decoupling placement

Place decoupling capacitors within 0.5 mm of IC power pins.

Advisory

Test point coverage

Expose all key power rails and I²C/SPI/UART buses via labelled test points.

Advisory

Fiducial markers

Include a minimum of 3 fiducials at board corners for SMT pick-and-place.

Signal Integrity

High-speed differential pairs

USB 3.0, MIPI, and LVDS pairs must be length-matched within 2 mil. Route on the same layer.

Controlled impedance

Specify controlled impedance stackup in fab notes. 50 Ω single-ended, 90 Ω differential for USB.

Pre-Submission Checklist

  • Design Rule Check (DRC) passes with zero errors in KiCad / Altium
  • All component footprints verified against physical datasheet land patterns
  • BOM exported with MPN, manufacturer, and approved alternatives flagged
  • Gerber, drill, and IPC-D-356 netlist packaged for fab

Section 02

Enclosure & Mechanical Design

Wall thickness, draft angles, assembly strategy, and fastener standards for injection-moulded and CNC-machined enclosures across QWR product lines.

Injection Moulding

ParameterValueNotes
Nominal wall thickness1.5 – 2.5 mmUniform wall preferred
Min draft angle2° recommended for textured surfaces
Rib thickness50–60% of wallPrevents sink marks on outer face
Min inside radius0.5 mmAt wall junctions
Snap-fit deflection≤ 2%Of nominal beam length

CNC Machining (Aluminium)

Critical

Min feature size

Min pocket width 1.0 mm, min hole diameter 0.5 mm. Tolerances tighter than ±0.05 mm require sign-off.

Critical

Chamfer vs fillet

Prefer chamfers on external edges; fillets on all internal corners.

Recommended

Thread specification

M-series metric threads only. M2 minimum for structural fastening.

Advisory

Surface finish callout

Include Ra value on drawing. Bare aluminium default: Ra 1.6 µm.

Assembly first-pass yield

Design for top-down assembly where possible. QWR targets single-axis assembly for all sub-assemblies.

Fastener Standards

Approved fasteners

  • M2 / M2.5 / M3 socket head cap screws (ISO 4762)
  • M2 / M2.5 self-tapping for plastic bosses
  • Heat-set inserts (M2+) for thermoplastic boss reuse

Not permitted

  • Imperial fasteners (UNC/UNF) — metric only
  • Adhesive-only structural joints
  • Custom fastener profiles without DFM review

Section 03

XR Optics & Display Constraints

XR optics are the highest-precision component class in any QWR product. Tolerances are an order of magnitude tighter than standard mechanical parts.

Display Panel Requirements

ParameterSpecification
Panel typeMicro-OLED / LCoS
Min PPI2000 PPI
Luminance (peak)≥ 5,000 nit
Colour gamut≥ 85% DCI-P3
Refresh rate90 Hz minimum
Panel flatness≤ 10 µm bow

Waveguide Design Rules

No customer modification to waveguide geometry

Waveguide substrates are designed and validated entirely by QWR. Do not alter grating period, substrate index, or coupling angles.

Critical

Incoupler position tolerance

In-coupling grating must be positioned within ±15 µm XY of nominal.

Critical

Waveguide-to-display gap

Air gap between display exit pupil and waveguide surface: 0.3 mm ± 0.05 mm.

Recommended

Stray light baffling

Include light-absorbing baffles between illumination path and detector.

Advisory

Waveguide handling

Handle only with clean-room gloves. No contact with grating surface.

Eye-Box & FOV Targets

ParameterTargetMinimum
Horizontal FOV40°30°
Eye-box (horizontal)12 mm8 mm
Eye relief18 mm14 mm
Uniformity (centre vs edge)≥ 70%60%
Optical test deliverables required at EVT

All devices must pass QWR's optical qualification suite: MTF measurement, uniformity map, stray light scan, and eye-box cross-section.

Section 04

Materials & Tolerance Specifications

Material selection and tolerance callouts must be explicit on all engineering drawings submitted to QWR.

Approved Material Families

CategoryApproved MaterialsTypical Use
Structural plasticPC, PC/ABS, PA66-GF30Main enclosures, structural frames
Flexible / gasketTPU 85A–95A, SiliconeSeals, nose pads, cable strain relief
Optical plasticPMMA (optical grade), ZeonexLens elements, light pipes, diffusers
Metal (structural)Al 6061-T6, Al 7075-T6, Ti Gr.5Machined frames, hinges, optic mounts
PCB substrateFR-4, Rogers 4350BStandard PCB, RF/mmWave boards

Dimensional Tolerance Classes

TOLERANCE CLASS REFERENCE
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CLASS         LINEAR TOLERANCE      ANGULAR      APPLICATION
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
T1 — Coarse   ± 0.5  mm             ± 1.0°       Non-mating cosmetic
T2 — Medium   ± 0.2  mm             ± 0.5°       Standard mating faces
T3 — Fine     ± 0.05 mm             ± 0.1°       Precision interfaces
T4 — Optic    ± 0.01 mm (10 µm)     ± 0.02°      Waveguide & lens seats
T5 — Ultra    ± 0.002 mm (2 µm)     ± 0.005°     Active optical alignment
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Default if unspecified: T2   |   Optic mounts: T4 minimum
GD&T callout required for T3 and above

All T3, T4, and T5 features must carry explicit GD&T callouts per ASME Y14.5-2018.

Compliance & Certification Requirements

Required — all hardware

  • RoHS 3 (EU 2015/863) compliance across full BOM
  • UL94 V-0 or V-2 flame rating for enclosure plastics
  • Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS/SDS) on file

Required — consumer products

  • CE marking (RED Directive for wireless devices)
  • FCC Part 15B / Part 15C (US market)
  • BIS certification (India market)
Prohibited substances

Strictly prohibited in any QWR-manufactured product: hexavalent chromium, cadmium, lead (except exempted solder per RoHS Annex III), mercury, PBB, PBDE.

Documentation Required at Design Freeze

  • Complete BOM with MPN, manufacturer, material grade, and RoHS status
  • Engineering drawings for all custom parts — GD&T per ASME Y14.5-2018
  • 3D STEP or Parasolid files for all mechanical components
  • Compliance declarations: RoHS, REACH, UL94 flame class

See how QWR handles customisation and manufacturing at scale.