As electronics become more complex, the bottleneck shifts. It no longer lies in whether you have the right tools—but in whether you can keep moving forward when the tools act up.
At Asetek, the hardware team has chosen Cadence tools and Nordcad as its local partner. Hardware engineer Peter explains here what that means in day-to-day operations.
In brief
The challenge
Complex layouts and sudden changes to the component database can bring a project to a halt. A generic support hotline takes days to respond—and provides generic answers.
The solution
Direct contact with specialists who are familiar with both the tools and Asetek’s own workflows, combined with targeted training courses for the team.
The result
Shorter development cycles, fewer errors, and a team that can resolve minor issues on its own instead of waiting.
The challenge
When the layout is giving you trouble at three in the afternoon
A hardware team rarely wastes time on major decisions. Time is spent on things that suddenly don’t behave as expected: a layout that won’t line up properly, a component that has changed in the database, or a signal integrity challenge that can’t be solved with the standard configuration.
These are small things, measured in hours. But they pile up, and they always seem to happen right before a deadline. The key difference isn’t whether someone responds—but how long it takes, and whether the response is actually useful.
The solution
A specialist on the line, not a standard support line
Asetek does not have access to a help desk. They have access to the people who actually work with the tools and are familiar with Asetek's setup.
In practice, this means three things:
When they run into trouble with a layout, they call and get help right away—instead of waiting several days for a generic response.
If a component changes in the database, they receive specific suggestions for corrections so that the design can still be produced on time.
When faced with complex signal integrity challenges, our specialists propose solutions that take Asetek’s existing design principles into account—not just standard answers.
The training
From asking to being able to do it yourself
Nordcad's courses go beyond just an introduction. Asetek's engineers have gone through the entire workflow, from schematic design to the final PCB layout, including the underlying systems and workflows.
The impact is evident in three areas. The team speaks the same language as support and can describe a problem accurately the first time. They resolve even minor issues on their own without waiting for help. And they feel confident tackling more complex design tasks because they know what the tool is capable of.
“Nordcad has an incredibly skilled technical department that can quickly analyze our problems and help us move forward.”
Peter Lanng, Asetek
The result
Shorter development cycles
Fewer errors in the transition from design to production
Shorter wait times — problems are resolved as soon as they arise
A team that has become more self-directed
About Asetek
Asetek develops liquid cooling for computers—a technology the company has helped establish as the standard in gaming and esports PCs.
Since its founding in 2000, the company has shipped over 10 million coolers worldwide, and its business now also includes sim racing hardware.
