Imagine you are traveling across the Atlantic by plane. You are standing on a tarmac, bags by your side, when two different aircraft roll up. You are offered a choice of either plane to take you to your transatlantic destination. The first aircraft is certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, the other has no certification.
You've got this great big idea. You can’t believe no one else has thought of it before. You're going to sell millions! But one small problem.
Levison Enterprises is proud to commit early to standards that improve our client's data security.
In December 2016, the National Institute of Standards and Technology published new standards for all contractors and subcontractors for the United States Department of Defense (DoD). Implementation of the standards in NIST SP800-171 was required by December 31, 2017, and focused on safeguarding Covered Defense Information (CDI) and the reporting of cyber security incidents.
A box build isn’t the only way to complete your project, but for quality, high-efficiency projects, a box build is a process worth considering. Here are 6 reasons you may want to consider a box build for your next project.
Flow down helps keep counterfeit parts out and improves supply chain accountability, but it may make your business harder, too.
No matter what you’re looking to manufacture, you’re looking for efficiency. An all-in-one ECM means cost savings and high-level quality for your project.
Counterfeit parts are unfortunately not going away. Does it really matter to your assembly?
This is not a fun subject, but when it comes to manufacturing, especially electronics manufacturing, it’s one we have to talk about.
Go ahead. Put all your eggs in one basket with Levison Enterprises.
Once you’ve decided to outsource part or all of your project to an electronic contract manufacturer (ECM), you still have a big decision to make. Which all-in-one ECM is best suited to handle your projects and to handle them to your specifications?
In the manufacturing world, we see all kinds of acronyms bounce around. Depending on your project and specialty, you might need a pocket dictionary to keep track of all the abbreviations you’ll hear.
At Levison Enterprises, we call ourselves an ECM or, electronic contract manufacturer. But we see plenty of others and figured it was time to get them all organized in once place – for our own benefit, if not for yours.
In the electronic contract manufacturing (ECM) world, it’s likely that you’ve needed to sub-contract work at times. With a host of competing factors to consider, sometimes it just makes more sense to sub work out to another ECM.
The printed circuit boards (PCBs) we use today have evolved over the last 100 years and beyond. PCBs have an exciting history, borne first from the earliest ventures into electronics and later reimagined by a desire to revolutionize point-to-point wiring boards. Learning about the important events that molded the modern PCB can lend a better appreciation for this technology and an idea of what’s to come for the future of PCB assembly.
Or, more to the point, how do we keep our plasma projects running when no one seems to support them anymore?
To be clear, we're not talking about the large plasma TV in your basement. We're talking about the plasma display that for many years was the industry standard for electronic instruments. First, a little primer on how we got into this plasma problem.
It might seem like tedious deskwork to you, but a well-organized bill of materials can be the difference between an on-time and on-budget project and one that is, well, not. So let's keep the boss happy and brush up on how to make an excellent Bill of Materials (BOM).
Levison Enterprises' in-house TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) solutions keep your circuits and your costs small. Almost as soon as the first personal computers arrived, there was a push for them to be smaller. In 70 years we've seen computers the size of a room scale down to something you absent-mindedly wear on your wrist.
Have you ever worked on something so much that it becomes second nature?
Did you get to the point where it was so repetitive and easy that you couldn't see how to fix something when a problem came up?
It happens to the best of us, and that why some companies choose to use the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA,) or Deming Cycle as part of their project management approach.
Plan-Do-Check-Act is actually a part of the AS9100 quality assessment.
It is a four-step model for carrying out change.
Clients depend on their electronic contract manufacturing company to provide efficient, compliant, and secure services to produce their products.
That's why your Electronic Contract Manufacturer, or ECM, should consider internal audits a must. It's how you can ensure your ECM is doing what they say they are doing and identify gaps in policies and procedures.
Every manufacturer has two priorities that guide every decision. They want to make and deliver a high-quality product while saving every dollar on materials, assembly, and delivery. This is where a partnership with the right electronic contract manufacturer (ECM) can make a significant difference.
Have you become comfortable and complacent in the current relationship with your electronic contract manufacturer?
That can be both good and bad.
It’s good because you've developed a strong relationship and level of trust with them.
Recently, a movie theatre in our area decided to rip out the stadium style seating traditionally found in theatres, and invested in all leather recliners and enhanced technology for their movie viewing customers.
One might think this would be tied to a higher ticket price.
However, they didn’t raise their prices.
Are you looking to streamline your assembly process, reduce your shipping timelines, and possibly reduce your overall cost?
Who isn’t?
Your best bet may be a single source electronic manufacturing service or ECM.
Are you looking to get the most quality out of your electronic manufacturing project but aren’t sure how detailed to make your drawings?
When you tell your electronic contract manufacturer what you need through a complete picture, it’s much easier to achieve the end product you are looking for.
Are you hitting a dead end trying to get your through hole board replaced or fixed?
Many electronic contract manufactures don’t do it anymore.
Though the benefits of surface mount assembly may have largely displaced through hole assembly, there are many applications where through hole assembly could remain the best choice.
Searching for a new electronic manufacturing partner can be a lot like the dating game.
Companies will wine and dine you, make you feel like you’ve found a match, but then disappear when a problem arises. You need to make sure you find the right “match” for your company.
In today’s competitive landscape, businesses must continually innovate to improve their products and inspire brand loyalty.
For small to mid-sized businesses, leveraging new technology and initiating real change is often a challenge. For businesses constrained by smaller budgets and less sophisticated equipment, there is a way to improve your processes and stay ahead of the competition.
A contract manufacturer can be a valuable asset that helps your business achieve its goals and even surpass them.
However, not all electronic contract manufacturers are created equal.
The uniqueness of your product is what makes it special. It is what makes your product different from competing products on the market.
Counterfeit electronic components have long been a concern in the electronics manufacturing industry.
The increasing ease of producing them in recent years has made a significant impact.
‘Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives.” ~ Tony Robbins
To be truly great at something requires that you immerse yourself into your craft.
So, you are beginning your search for a new electronics contract manufacturer.
On the surface, many electronic manufacturing service companies appear very similar. They will have a roster of the capabilities, coupled with some images of printed circuit boards, cable assemblies, and processing equipment.
There is no requirement that an electronic contract manufacturer must hold certain quality certifications to conduct business in the industry.
Anyone that can purchase equipment and operate it can call themselves an electronics manufacturing services provider.
Regardless of industry or business size, money is always at the forefront of discussion.
The economy may be rebounding, but companies are continually looking for ways to scale down while maximizing their profits. For small to mid-sized businesses that run on thin margins, this can seem difficult to do without sacrificing quality.
In an increasingly competitive business landscape, efficiency is more important than ever. To stay competitive, companies feel the pressure to research, develop, and manufacture products that deliver satisfaction to their demanding customers.
Consumers today want more and they want it as quickly as possible – call it the natural progression of our technology-driven culture. Small and mid-sized businesses may struggle to keep the pace.
You have a decision to make.
Are you going to farm your work to an overseas partner that has this really attractive price or are you going to seek a domestic partner that may cost more but will be easier to work with and deliver higher quality?
