Forwarded to:      Imail[[log in to unmask]]
          cc:      
Comments by:       Gary S Thomas@IPD@BaileyWIC

   -------------------------- [Original Message] -------------------------      
Lou:

We have a few (thousand) non cad designs also.  Lucky most are obsolete.  
When we are faced with a design change on one of these old guys, we send full 
size films out to have them scanned into gerber data.  Our old taped artworks 
have been destroyed (management decision by a genius no longer with the 
company), but we kept full size films.  We do design changes by modifying the 
gerber files (we use CAM 350), and hand edit the fab drawing to keep all the 
documentation current.  Most of these old designs are very simple, so it's no 
big deal to edit the Gerber data, and logical also since in reality you are 
revising an electronic version of the taped artwork.

I wouldn't bother trying to get the gerber data into your CAD system for a 
couple of reasons.  First, the design is probably old and will be obsolete 
soon anyway. Second, unless you read in the net list data and your system is 
really slick, you will probably spend a lot of time creating an intelligent 
database - more time than it's worth.

For scanning, we use this company:
 
CAD/Art Services Inc.
(619)279.7555.
Contact is Jeffery Young.         

I'm sure there are others.

gary ...

Bailey Controls Co.
Wickliffe, Oh. 44092
216.585.8945 voice
216.585.7878 fax