As a mechanical engineer, you create some pretty cool stuff. But does any of that stuff have electronic components? Have you just been winging it? Don't play DIY with your electronics manufacturing. You may have been lucky up to this point, but it could burn you if your electronics project goes boom.
Not all electronics projects are created equal. Neither should the assembly. Luckily, you have options. A box build is a fairly recent development in electronics manufacturing. For complete systems integration, a box build may be the right option for your next project.
Prototyping is an important stage of product development. This useable representation of your design allows you to understand your product. The working model allows you to test various design features, verify design functionality and identify issues as early as possible within the development stage. Prototyping is often well worth the time, effort, and investment. If done well, the prototyping process will allow the design to be completely optimized before full production occurs. This will not only save you time and money, but guarantee you will deliver a dynamite product.
Labor cost can add up to the biggest part of your PCBA manufacturing budget. So how do you cut costs without sacrificing the quality of your project? It is actually easier than it seems. It all starts with finding the right electronic contract manufacturer to partner with in order to create your printed circuit boards on a budget.
As electronics evolve and technology becomes more complicated, companies no longer have the facilities or capabilities to assemble PCBs. This is especially true when it comes to prototyping. Turning to an electronic manufacturer to help with the prototyping process just makes sense. Electronic assembly manufacturers are experts in their field. There are a number of advantages to outsourcing your prototype to an electronic manufacturer.
Whether it’s your first time contracting with an electronic contract manufacturer or your hundredth, there are things you want to land in your contract and things you want to avoid. By watching for a few key tells, you can be the kid with all the king-sized candy bars and none of the tricks after trick-or-treating.
Even with the best designs, supply chain management, and manufacturing standards, mistakes sometimes happen. You don’t go into a project anticipating problems, but good project management means considering what might happen if your product has errors. You’ll want to know ahead of time how your electronics manufacturing service will handle troubleshooting and repair for your electronics manufacturing.
Have you ever received a quote from a vendor and wondered what they were thinking when they wrote it? Sometimes they come back over-simplified and you know there are things missing that will come up and haunt you later.
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).
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.
"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.
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.
