Levison Enterprises Blog | Reverse Engineering

The Importance of PFMEA in Electronic Contract Manufacturing

In any manufacturing process, there are bound to be issues. From design to prototype to manufacturing, problems can arise, and the failure to address them early can cost you in both time and money. To best mitigate issues like this, implement the Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis (PFMEA) to help streamline your approach.

Obsolete Parts Present the Greatest Vulnerability in Counterfeit Supply Chain

Counterfeits are everywhere. The electronic industry is particularly vulnerable. Electronic technology is rapidly changing, and sometimes it is hard for companies to keep up. The need to regularly source parts or complete a rapid redesign due to parts obsolescence only increases the risk of fakes making their way into your product. It may seem like an uphill battle, but taking time to employ stricter counterfeit electronic component detection and avoidance methods could be the key to ensuring high-quality in your next project.

Parts Obsolescence Continues to Cause Headaches in Electronic Manufacturing

The electronic manufacturing industry has been battling the problem of parts obsolescence for decades. In an environment where the lifecycle of a component is shorter than the lifecycle of a product, part shortages lead to other headaches. Counterfeit electronic components entering the supply chain is one of the biggest issues resulting from hard-to-source parts. Manufacturers often find themselves scrambling to obtain parts, and when this happens it makes them particularly vulnerable. The key to combat this is by making sure steps are in place to minimize risks by practicing counterfeit electronic component detection and avoidance.

How Serious is the Impact of Counterfeit Parts in the Aerospace and Defense Industry?

Government supply chains are constantly under siege by counterfeit parts. Over the last decade, even through vigilant efforts, there has been a marked increase in the number of counterfeit parts found in everything from aerospace to defense electronics. It's not that nothing was being done about the problem. Instead, counterfeit parts became harder to detect, as well as becoming more sophisticated. The danger they posed to government contractors and end-users became no less intense.

How Important is Functional Testing in PCB Manufacturing?

After all the designing, testing, simulating, and prototyping, there's one last step before PCBs go to assembly. In a field where error testing and stomping out defects is a never ending quest for perfection, functional testing represents the last opportunity to get things just right.

How Counterfeit Parts Affect Your Printed Circuit Boards

In our ever-evolving technological world, we put our lives in the hands of many different electronic components every day. Modes of transportation, our home electronics, and even our office and work spaces are often in the hands of all types of electronics. We may never give their performance a second thought, but would you feel different if you knew they contained counterfeit parts?

5 Factors That Influence Military and Aerospace PCB Design

Aerospace and military grade printed circuit boards must be as tough and reliable are these who use them in the field. There is no room for error when you are counted on to be mission ready. This makes PCB assembly and manufacturing for military unique. Knowledge and understanding of what must be done to create circuit board with high reliability that contributes to the long service life of electronic products under extreme conditions is a must. Therefore, it's important to find an electronic contract manufacturer that has the quality standards, certifications, and experience to handle the demands of these kind of projects.

Does Your ECM Have the Technical Knowhow to Handle Your Project?

You're looking for an ECM with the ability to take your project from idea to consumer's hands. How do you know if an ECM will provide quality work on time? After all, your project’s success depends on it. An ECM with sub-par technical chops opens you up to defective and generally poor-quality products. You need an electronic contract manufacturer that can do it all - a turnkey PCB assembly. So, what sets a turnkey operation above the rest?

Is Your ECM Robust Enough to Build for the Military?

Tough, accurate, rugged, precise - these are all words that come to mind when talking about the military. But how do they translate to military grade electronic assemblies? Only the most tenacious ECM with a mastery of electronic assembly can live up to unique military standards and deliver a product with proven precision. Military grade electronic assemblies go into products that are put through their paces in demanding environments on land, in the air, and at sea. They need to have outstanding functionality. They must also be compatible with developing technology. Is your ECM ready for the challenge?

What is Supply Chain Management and Why is it Important to Your ECM?

Sometimes it's hard to fully understand and appreciate what goes on behind the scenes to get a PCB off the drawing board and into a product. Supply chain management is one such element of PCB development that can be easily overlooked. It's an essential part of manufacturing as a whole; one that directly impacts your project's success. Your supply chain is the foundation. PCB parts are required for your product. A strong supply chain will make or break the manufacturing process —and ultimately your bottom line. Supply chain management should be important to your ECM. If it's not, maybe you need a new ECM.

Avoid Delays in Your Next PCB Prototype

Mistakes happen. It’s a fact of life. But many are avoidable, especially when it comes to your PCB prototype. A simple oversight can delay your whole project. If you get behind while building a circuit board, the issue can quickly snowball, and your entire project timeline can become derailed. The problems can continue to compound. So, it’s best to stay on track from the get-go. To do this, you need to avoid the most common pitfalls that cause PCB prototype delays.

How Design Impacts PCB Manufacturing Process

PCB design is a complex process. Careful considerations, down to the tiniest detail, must be made. All of your design choices will affect one or more stages of the PCB manufacturing process. This includes everything from shape and size to what type of drill hole technology you use. Failing to pay attention to how your design will affect the PCB fabrication process can take weeks of work right down the drain as you go back to the drawing board for a redesign. To keep everything on track, it is important to truly understand the PCB manufacturing process from beginning to end so you make the best possible design choices right from the start.