Means Engineering, Inc.

Product development engineering in medical, industrial, semiconductor equipment & military with a standard of excellence in form, function and design.

(760) 931-9452 | info@meanseng.com
5927 Geiger Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008-7305

Grow Your Business with Contract Manufacturing Services

By

Businesses today face tough competition. In addition to keeping up with technological advancements and improvements, businesses must bring new products to market faster. Organizations wishing to remain competitive need to continuously locate ways to reduce costs and production time. Businesses often find this extremely difficult, especially during periods of economic downturn.

Outsourcing enables businesses to produce products faster and at a lower price than possible with in-house production. Utilizing the help of an experienced contract manufacturer provides access to the people, equipment, and technology needed to produce a wide range of products. These individuals often have years of experience and know how to produce high quality products quickly and efficiently.

What is Contract Manufacturing?

Contract manufacturing is a form of outsourcing between a manufacturing firm and a hiring company. The hiring company contracts with the manufacturing firm to produce parts and/or complete products. Depending on the needs of the hiring company, contract manufacturers might handle many different parts of product development and production including:

  • Product Design
  • Prototyping
  • CNC Machining
  • Tooling
  • Production

Benefits of Contract Manufacturing

In addition to improved quality and reduced time to market, contract manufacturing services eliminate many of the costs associated with in-house production. Hiring a CM reduces the amount of capital spent on the maintenance and operating costs of equipment and machinery. It also reduces the costs associated with hiring, salaries, wages, HR, and benefits.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of outsourcing is that it provides the hiring company with access to the people, equipment, and technology needed to ensure the production of high-quality parts and products.

What Types of Businesses Hire Contract Manufacturers?

Although most people assume only large companies hire contract manufacturers, nothing could be further from the truth. Many entrepreneurs and start-ups utilize contract manufacturing to bring new products to market.

Larger companies utilize contract manufacturing to fulfill periods of high demand and to test out new markets. Hiring a CM allows organizations to discover the profitability of new products, without having to invest the time and money into producing new products in house.

California Contract Manufacturer

Means Engineering offers contract manufacturing services to businesses across a wide range of industries. Our services reduce costs and time to market. Our team understands the unique challenges faced by organizations today. We work directly with each of our clients to ensure a mutually beneficial and long lasting relationship.

Please contact us for more information about our contract manufacturing services.

Contract Manufacturing for the Military

By

Across the nation, contractors are seeing increasing demand for electronic devices in almost every industry. Used for numerous applications in the defense industry, the rapid expansion of high-tech military equipment and components has created high demand for electronics manufacturing.

With increasing demand, the country’s prime defense contractors often find they cannot handle the large volume of orders. These contractors turn to electronic contract manufacturers for help.

Outsourcing Allows Prime Contractors to Fulfill Large Orders

Contract manufacturers, like Means Engineering, provide a variety of turnkey manufacturing services. Outsourcing enables organizations to fulfill periods of high demand and provides access to experienced professionals and state-of-the-art equipment and technology. Utilizing the assistance of a qualified contract manufacturer saves a considerable amount of time and money over in-house production.

Military Electronics Manufacturing

Contract manufacturing of military electronics looks a lot different than contract manufacturing for other industries. Instead of producing complete products, contractors enlist the help of contract manufacturers for the production of unique components. Other services commonly outsourced include design, prototyping, assembly, fabrication, tooling, qualification testing, and procurement.

Manufacturers responsible for the creation of devices for the military must meet strict requirements for both quality and consistency. Military electronics are used for a variety of mission critical operations. When outsourcing, it’s crucial to locate an electronics manufacturer with the proper equipment, people, skills, and technology to ensure products meet exact specifications. It’s also important to ensure the contract manufacturer carries ISO 9001 certification. This certification proves the manufacturer has taken the time and effort to develop and maintain a quality management system.

Although contract manufacturers may use a number of different tools to produce components for the defense industry, contract manufacturers that utilize a 5-axis machine achieve better results. Unlike 2-3 axis machines, 5-axis machines rotate on 5 axes, enabling the creation of complex parts and components. 5-axis machining allows for tight tolerances. For orders of 10 to 10,000 pieces, these machines ensure the consistency of every piece produced.

U.S. Based Contract Manufacturer

Means Engineering provides a wide range of contract manufacturing services for the defense industry. In addition to production of complex parts and components, our experienced team has years of experience providing design, CNC machining, and testing of military electronics. Please contact us to learn more about our contract manufacturing services for the defense industry.

Outsourcing Allows OEMs to Expand Into New Markets

By

Companies looking to expand into new markets often face difficult decisions. While most of these organizations understand the benefits of expansion and the potential for increased revenue, many simply aren’t sure how to acquire the equipment, space, and people needed to grow their business. This is especially true for OEMs and other organizations looking to produce parts or products for the medical, defense, or aerospace industries. These industries have strict requirements, and organizations must prove that they have the equipment and skills needed to meet tight tolerances and produce extremely complex devices.

Unfortunately, many organizations avoid expansion or turn down jobs because they do not have the resources needed to complete the work. This can lead to significant loss for the company. In addition to potential loss of revenue, organizations that do not expand will likely fall behind their competition in coming years. This could prove to be especially damaging now, as the world attempts to rebuild the economy. Organizations everywhere will soon be looking for ways to increase earning potential and stability. Expansion into important and essential industries like medical and defense ensures OEMs remain successful even during times of economic downturn.

Outsourcing Reduces Cost and Time to Market

Organizations wishing to expand could benefit from outsourcing part or all of their production to a qualified contract manufacturer like Means Engineering. Outsourcing provides access to experienced individuals, quality equipment and machinery, and state-of-the-art technology at a fraction of the cost of in-house production. Contract manufacturers often have years of experience working with a wide range of industries.

Carlsbad Contract Manufacturing

When you work with Means Engineering, we work directly with your organization to ensure a successful and mutually beneficial relationship. Our team has experience creating complex devices for the medical and defense industries. As an ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified contract manufacturer, we understand the unique requirements of these industries and work hard to ensure the quality and consistency of every part produced. Our 5-axis machine allows us to produce extremely complex parts and products.

At Means Engineering, we understand the challenges OEMs face when expanding into new markets. Our team can help you clear this hurdle and ensure the continued success of your company.

Please contact us for information about our contract manufacturing services.

 

Strong Partnerships Provide Numerous Benefits for OEMs

By

When it comes to the successful design and production of electronic devices, strong partnerships can make all the difference in the world. Partnering with a qualified and experienced electronics contract manufacturer ensures quality assembly, on-time delivery, and continuous success in a wide range of markets.

Increased Quality and Consistency

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of working with an experienced contract manufacturer, it provides access to industry experts. These professionals often have years of experience producing multiple products and components. Through trial and error, they are well positioned to provide valuable insight that OEMs can use to make informed decisions.

When utilized during the design phase, contract manufacturers serve as a second set of eyes for design plans. In addition to helping locate areas of the design that could benefit from improvement, CMs can improve product quality and reduce the cost of production often by making simple adjustments.

Increased Customer Satisfaction

Consumers have extremely high expectations when it comes to the quality and functionality of electronic devices. OEMs often find it difficult to meet or exceed these expectations as technology changes at such a fast rate. Partnering with the right CM can put OEMs ahead of their competition. CMs help reduce time to market and ensure optimal quality and functionality of products produced. CMs have access to all tools, people, equipment, and technology needed to produce even complex devices and components.

Reduced Costs

Outsourcing costs far less than acquiring the people, space, and equipment necessary to produce new products in-house. By enlisting the help of a quality CM early in the process, OEMs can reduce the chance of costly mistakes and rebuilds. CMs can generally tell if there will be a problem long before they begin production. This isn’t always possible when producing products in-house.

U.S. Based Contract Manufacturer

Means Engineering provides contract manufacturing services to OEMs and other organizations wishing to increase quality, reduce time to market, and remain compliant with industry-specific requirements. We work directly with each of our clients throughout the entire process to ensure all devices and components meet necessary guidelines for quality, functionality, and delivery.

Please contact us for more information about our contract manufacturing services.

Industry Certifications – Why They’re Important

By

You have many things to consider when choosing an electronics contract manufacturer. Although you’ll probably spend some time negotiating price and other important aspects of your contract, electronic manufacturing certifications should remain non-negotiable. These important industry certifications ensure the CM you work with meets rigorous quality expectations as required by the industries they serve. Without proper certification, the CM simply cannot guarantee quality or that the product produced meets industry-specific regulatory compliance standards.

General Certification – ISO 9001

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 certificate shows that the contract manufacturer has implemented and maintained a quality management system. This certification is internationally accepted and proves that the CM consistently meets customer requirements and continues to strive to improve product quality.

Medical Device Industry Certification – ISO 13485

ISO 13485 is required for a CM to design and/or produce devices for the medical industry. This important certification ensures the CM has effectively implemented and maintained its quality management system. It also ensures the CM implements certain controls and protocols to ensure product safety.

I order to achieve ISO 13485 certifications, contract manufacturers must meet specific requirements for testing, inspection, and product traceability.

Aerospace Industry Certification – AS9100

Aviation Space (AS) 9100 certification encompasses all requirements for ISO 9000 as well as additional aerospace industry-specific quality and safety standards. In order to receive AS9100 certification, a CM must display an emphasis on risk management, adopt proven production processes, and pass an AS9100 audit.

Final Thoughts

When selecting a CM, it never hurts to ask to see their certification documents. CMs that have taken the time to obtain industry-specific certification are generally happy to provide this information on request. If the CM tells you otherwise, or fails to provide the appropriate documentation, it’s probably best to take your business elsewhere.

Means Engineering offers contract manufacturing services to organizations across a wide range of industries. We are proud to hold several industry-specific certifications including ISO 9001, ISO1 3485, and AS9100. Please contact us for more information about our contract manufacturing services.

 

 

ABOUT US

MEI features depth of experience in medical, industrial, semiconductor equipment and military products. All product development efforts start with a unique set of requirements, yet we deliver results that share a common standard of excellence in form, function and design.

Our turn-key capabilities provide smart, simple solutions to cumbersome outsourcing issues, and provide our clients with an intelligent route from concept to market.

Read More...