electronics manufacturer Archives - Means Engineering, Inc.

Avoid These Common Mistakes When Outsourcing

June 19, 2020 By cscheafer

For organizations that produce or manufacture products, outsourcing provides numerous benefits. In addition to reducing costs and time to market, outsourcing part or all of production can significantly increase the quality of products produced. However, it’s extremely important that organizations make an informed decision when choosing to outsource.

Although most organizations see positive outcomes from outsourcing, selecting the wrong contract manufacturer can cause significant problems. This is especially true for OEMs producing electronic devices that rely on the correct assembly and testing of several complex components.

Organizations considering outsourcing will want to avoid the following common mistakes when working with a contract manufacturer:

Choosing the First CM on the List

The CM you choose can have a major impact on the quality and functionality of your finished product. It’s extremely important that OEMs take their time to interview several different CMs before selecting one to work with. OEMs might find it helpful to create a list of their needs and requirements, including any regulatory standards the finished product must comply with. These needs should be discussed in detail during the interview process.

Failing to Discuss Project Objectives

Maintaining good lines of communication ensures the success of the contract manufacturing relationship. Unfortunately, OEMs often fail to make the project objectives clear to their CM. This can lead to problems with the finished product. It’s crucial that OEMs provide clear instructions regarding project plans, specs, colors, and materials.

Not Putting Enough Trust in Their CM

Outsourcing requires a certain level of trust on the part of the OEM. In order to complete the project, OEMs must hand over project plans and blueprints. Occasionally, the CM may make recommendations to improve the quality or reduce the cost of production.

Choosing the CM With the Lowest Rates

Every business wants to reduce costs. However, choosing a CM with the lowest rates could end up costing OEMs more money in the long run. Low prices typically do not equate to high quality. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Means Engineering offers contract manufacturing services for organizations and OEMs. Our team has years of experience producing parts and components for multiple industries including medical, aerospace, and defense. Please contact us for information about our services.

Understanding In-Circuit Testing

March 27, 2020 By cscheafer

Electronics manufacturers must take necessary precautions to ensure nothing goes wrong with finished products. This is especially important for manufacturers creating devices for the medical, aerospace, and defense industries. Even devices made for other industries require careful assembly if manufacturers wish to avoid costly rebuilds, repairs, and recalls.

In order to ensure proper operation of all parts and components, electronics manufacturers must continuously test throughout production. Using a wide range of tests at different parts of the process helps ensure the quality and reliability of all finished products.

One of the most commonly used tests, in-circuit testing (ICT), helps ensure contract manufacturers and OEMs consistently meet defined parameters during production. ICT provides valuable information about problems with the board. This can prove extremely beneficial as most issues with electronic devices occur because of short circuits, wrong components, and open circuits on the board.

How it Works

ICT relies on a special test fixture, commonly referred to as “bed of nails” because it contains multiple contact pins. The contact pins come in contact with circuit nodes on the printed circuit board (PCB) to measure performance of the components. ICT allows contract manufacturers to measure various parameters including resistance, capacitance, and the operation of analog components. ICT is also sometimes used to measure functionality of digital circuits. However, full testing of circuit functionality isn’t usually feasible due to circuit complexity.

Benefits of ICT

When performed correctly, ICT can catch around 98% of faults with the board. Test results provided by ICT are easy to interpret. This makes it possible for manufacturers of all skillsets to locate problems quickly. Programming an in circuit tester is extremely easy. Electronics manufacturers can use information provided in the PCB layout to generate most of the program.

Disadvantages of ICT

Although ICT remains one of the most popular printed circuit board testing methods, it’s not without its disadvantages. As the size of components shrink, it’s becoming more difficult for manufacturers to gain access to all nodes on the board. This can lead to unreliable test results.

Contract manufacturers and OEMs must rely on a number of different testing methods to ensure the quality of finished products. This is especially important for those responsible for the creation of potentially life-saving products. Although ICT provides an effecting method for testing PCBs, it’s important that electronics manufacturers use additional tests to determine the quality and reliability of circuit boards.

How Electronic Contract Manufacturing Services Can Benefit Your Business

March 6, 2020 By cscheafer

Many electronics companies outsource some or all parts of production. This probably has something to do with the high cost of in-house production. Even if a company can manage the cost of equipment, people, and the technology needed to produce products themselves, it’s extremely difficult to keep up with rising consumer demand for quality electronics. Unfortunately, releasing just one poor quality device could negatively impact company reputation and the ability to obtain a steady flow of repeat and new business.

There are numerous benefits to outsourcing electronic manufacturing services. In addition to reducing costs and time to market, the right electronic contract manufacturer can also increase the quality of products produced.

Improved Quality and Consistency

As mentioned above, quality is extremely important when producing electronic devices. The right electronic contract manufacturer has the tools and experience needed to ensure strict quality control standards and compliance with local, state, federal, and international regulations. ECMs often have years of experience producing, testing, and improving products for a variety of industries.

Cost Savings

Working with an electronic contract manufacturer provides numerous cost savings over producing products in-house. In addition to providing access to the best people, equipment, machinery, and technology, the right ECM can reduce production costs by reducing the number of errors and re-dos.

Improved Turnaround

ECMs have established relationships with their suppliers, making it faster and easier for them to obtain the components they need to complete each project. This, combined with the ECMs vast experience, can significantly reduce the time it takes to bring products to market.

Specialized Manufacturing Services

Certain industries like medical, aerospace, and defense have extremely strict requirements when it comes to device construction. With these industries, there is no room for error. It’s important to find an ECM with experience and expertise in these industries. This helps ensure quality and compliance with strict regulations.

Means Engineering has years of experience working with a wide range of industries including the medical, aerospace, and defense industries. We understand the importance of creating high quality electronic devices. Please contact us for information about our comprehensive electronic contract manufacturing services.

How Organizations Utilize Contract Manufacturing

May 31, 2019 By cscheafer

Businesses around the world utilize contract manufacturing. These businesses understand the benefits of partnering with a quality CM. For new businesses or businesses just starting to look into the opportunity of outsourcing, the concept of contract manufacturing can be hard one to grasp. While most people understand the general idea behind contract manufacturing, many don’t understand how or when to utilize these services.

What is a Contract Manufacturer?

A contract manufacturer helps with the production of products and components. Businesses utilize contract manufacturers during various stages of production. Some businesses use CMs to handle all parts of production from design to manufacturing.

Although other services exist, the following are the most common ways in which organizations utilize contract manufacturing.

Design Services

When utilized in the design process, a quality contract manufacturer provides a second set of eyes for design plans. The right CM will work with you to help locate areas of the design that could benefit from improvement. This is usually minor changes that improve quality and/or reduce the cost of production.

Many contract manufacturers provide a variety of design services. However, not all companies provide the same level of service. Make sure you choose a CM with experience working with the type of product you wish to offer. This is especially important when designing complex electronics products.

Production Services

Contract manufacturers produce parts or products under the name of the company that hires them. This helps reduce costs, improve time to market, and increase the overall quality of the finished product. An experienced contract manufacturer provides a variety of production services including complex box builds, precision machining, high purity welding, clean room assembly, and more.

When choosing a CM to work with, make sure you locate a respected company with robust NPI processes in place.

Product Testing

Testing helps ensure the quality and consistency of parts and products. An experienced CM will test parts and components several times throughout production. This makes it possible to catch potential issues long before they are able to cause a problem.

Means Engineering, Inc. provides a wide range of contract manufacturing services to businesses both large and small. Please contact us for more information about our design, production, and testing services.

Better Products Begin With Better Design

October 26, 2018 By cscheafer

Organizations today face multiple challenges when it comes to creating new products. This is especially true for electronics manufacturers. These manufacturers must develop products extremely fast with more features and more options than ever before. Companies that fail to bring new products to market quickly often fall behind their competition.

Improving Design Plans

When developing new products, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what works and what does not. While a new idea might look good on paper, the finished product doesn’t always end up being cost-effective or practical to produce. Typically, design plans need to be revised several times before production can begin.

Partnering with a qualified contract manufacturer can help your organization locate areas in your design that could benefit from improvement. A contract manufacturer acts as a second set of eyes for design plans. These are individuals with years of experience creating multiple products for numerous industries. They know how to analyze design plans to ensure that products are produced in the most cost-effective and efficient manner possible. They also know how to ensure the quality of the finished product.

Increasing Quality

An experienced contract manufacturer will make suggestions to improve the quality of your product. This might include changing the types of materials used or adjusting other elements of the design. By utilizing the advice and experience of a qualified contract manufacturer, your company is able to produce a much higher quality product. This increases consumer trust, improving the chance of repeat business and referrals.

A contract manufacturer can determine methods to improve the way the product is produced. These methods are designed to increase the efficiency of the manufacturing process while reducing the total cost of production. As an added benefit, this also reduces time to market. This allows you to release new products faster, before your competition.

Matching Consumer Demand

Consumers today expect more and in less time. Technology has made it possible for consumers to instantly access anything they want. This has driven the demand for new products through the roof. Reducing time to market could be just the thing to make your business stand out.