Spartronics provides comprehensive contract manufacturing services, ranging from printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) and subsystem integration to full-box build (high-level assemblies). Additional services include engineering support such as manufacturing testing, supply chain management, sustaining engineering, and a suite of aftermarket services to support the full OEM product lifecycle. With over $500 million in revenue, approximately 1,700 dedicated employees, and manufacturing resources strategically located worldwide, our manufacturing network spans the United States, Mexico and Vietnam. Our engineering support is based in the United States and is available for product development, manufacturing readiness and ramp to production.
Best Practices for Establishing a Clear Plan from Concept to Manufacturing with the Right Contract Manufacturing Partner.
It’s time again. There is so much excitement around your NPI project. That new product is finishing in design, and no one can wait to launch the next steps of the project. Engineering wants to test it, Sales wants to sell it, and your boss wants to ship it. Don’t forget that the end user needs this product because it might be a medical device that helps a patient, a defense application which protects our troops, or an application for a commercial airliner in which you could be flying with your family. And everyone is depending on your New Product Introduction (NPI) to finish on time. Speaking of time, aren’t you planning that family vacation at the end of the summer which falls right at the end of this project?
There is so much to do, and so much must go right, and there is only one shot at success for the product. So what can you do to improve the chances of smooth sailing?
First and most important, find ways to reduce uncertainty. Find away to have a simulation completed if possible. It is a faster option than building a prototype, especially with today’s global supply chain challenges. And make sure there is a detailed written plan to deal with the risks identified earlier in the design process. Don’t forget to have a solid backup plan for high-risk possibilities too.
Spending a little time up-front with your team and the right
manufacturing partner will only help increase confidence
and the likelihood of success for your product
But what about manufacturing? Make sure you find the right manufacturing partner for your printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs). The right partner with proven product development experience can and will help you meet all your unique requirements from engineering services to the manufacturing process. The right partner will ask all the right questions, and most importantly, at the right time. They will offer a value add to your team, helping you accurately assess your product performance compared to design requirements and before production. The right partner will provide suggestions to improve product quality, optimize user experience, and help you understand hazards and risk analysis to ensure efficiency. And the right partner will help deliver the right test strategies appropriate for your product. For example, a power supply PCBA can be functionally tested under a controlled load instead of a simple low voltage flying probe test. Ripple tests, power up, and shut down tests are also possibilities.
Addressing manufacturability early in the product development process is crucial with your manufacturing partner. A minimal amount of review at the right point in the project can save days or weeks later. In addition, leveraging your partners commercial software simulation tools will ensure manufacturability rules are applied to your product. This assists in addressing risk analysis on your design ensuring high product reliability and manufacturability before finalizing your design.
Remember to evaluate the design for testability, too. Here again, timely action can drastically improve the odds of success. On one recent project at Spartronics, a customer decided on In Circuit Testing (ICT) early in the project. Working with Spartonics, they were able to achieve greater than 90% coverage before finalizing the product design. That meant less time working to develop functional tests, faster testing, and significantly less risk of defect escapes from production.
What if something goes wrong? Work together with your partner, as an extension of your team to assess the situation. Ask these questions:
• Are you building engineering units or qualification units?
• Is this an unexpected development or is it related to a risk area identified before?
• Can you apply a backup plan?
• How can your manufacturing partner help?
Asking the right questions can often lead to recovery options.
And finally, include time for the team to reflect on your NPI project when it is completed, with a “postmortem” or “lessons learned”meeting. Feedback good or bad is important. Understand what went wrong, what went well and where you could have saved time during the project’s lifecycle. This allows the opportunity to adjust future process and procedures to better your next project.
Over time you will find more and more ways to improve the probability of success. It’s mostly about thinking ahead, asking the right questions at the right time, and working with the right people. Hopefully, your process will continue to improve over time allowing you never to worry about missing that family vacation at the end of the summer. Spending a little time up-front with your team and the right manufacturing partner will only help increase confidence and the likelihood of success for your product.
