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

What to Look for in a Contract Manufacturer

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Deciding to partner with a contract manufacturer is one of the best decisions you can make for your business. CMs help reduce costs, improve quality, and reduce time-to-market. However, it’s important to learn all you can about the contract manufacturer before making your selection.

Capabilities

During the interview process, you’ll want to find out the capabilities of every contract manufacturer you talk to. Remember to consider both your current and potential needs when evaluating each company. It’s important to select a CM that can help your business grow and expand.

Experience

The work performed by contract manufacturers can vary greatly from one company to the next. Don’t be afraid to ask about the types of projects and industries each company has worked with. Choosing a CM that has experience with multiple industries puts you in the best position to expand into new markets later.

Process

Each company will probably have their own way of handling production process. You’ll want to find a company whose process matches your own business operations.

People

The overall success of your project will depend heavily on the people assigned to it. When speaking with potential candidates, make sure you talk to the people that will actually be working on your project. These are the people who can provide the most insight and help you understand how the project will progress. Make sure you speak with everyone involved including those responsible for assembly and testing.

Equipment & Technology

Creating electronic devices requires specialized equipment and technology. Make sure the company you partner with has access to up-to-date tools, techniques, and equipment.

Capacity

The contract manufacturer you choose should have the capacity to handle your project. Consider the size and complexity of your project when selecting a company to work with. Keep in mind that if your project is their biggest, the CM might run into trouble completing your order. Another extreme, if your project is their smallest, they might not give you the attention you deserve. It’s best to sit somewhere in the middle.

There are many things to consider when choosing a contract manufacturer. If you have questions or would like to talk to someone about your project, Means Engineering can help. Please contact us for details.

 

Creating a Prototype

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Creating a prototype is an extremely important part of the invention process. A prototype is basically a 3-D version of your idea. Creating a prototype provides you with a physical version of your vision that you and others can touch and feel.

Prototypes are often used for demonstration and presentation purposes. They can help attract investors and help your business appeal to your intended audience. Although your prototype probably won’t look exactly like the finished product, it provides an excellent starting point for any project.

Test and Refine the Functionality of Your Product

While your idea might look great on paper, it’s not until you actually begin creating it that you get to see how well it works. Building a prototype allows you to test your design and fix flaws that you might not have considered during the design process. This is possibly the greatest benefit of developing a prototype.

Test the Performance of Your Materials

Although you may have decided to use metal for your project, sometimes when you start building you realize plastic performs better and/or costs less. This type of situation happens more often than most people believe. Creating a prototype allows you to test out various materials and discover what works and what does not.

Understand Your Product Better

Building a prototype helps you better understand your product. This enables you to describe the product more efficiently to both your team and potential business partners.

Others Will Take You More Seriously

Being able to present a prototype allows you to show potential clients, business partners, investors, and even your attorney that you are serious about your idea. This might be just what you need to get the attention you deserve.

Developing a Prototype

You have two options when it comes to the creation of your prototype: you can attempt to build it yourself or you can partner with an experienced contract manufacturer. Many start-ups and small businesses begin by making a prototype out of everyday materials. If the company decides to move forward with their invention, they will typically need to create a pre-production prototype as well. This is when a contract manufacturer can help. A quality CM can help locate flaws in the design and discover ways to cut costs and improve the overall quality of the finished product. These are experienced individuals capable of creating a wide range of prototypes.

Turning Ideas Into Products

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Many of us don’t think much about the electronic products we use every day. However, these products have become an important part of our daily lives.

The companies responsible for making appliances, smart phones, and other electronic devices all started out the same. They each had an original idea. While it might seem like these products popped up overnight, this wasn’t how it happened at all. Turning ideas into reality takes a lot of time, trial and error, and research.

Research

Creating a new product requires a lot of research. It’s important that companies take the time necessary to familiarize themselves with the manufacturing process and their intended audience. It’s also crucial to look up information about patent protection. The last thing a company wants is to create a product that infringes on someone else’s copyright or intellectual property.

Timing

Timing is one of the biggest factors affecting the success of new products. Companies that wait too long to release new products often find that their competition has already beat them to it. On the other hand, companies that release new products before anyone else could face a market that’s not quite ready for what’s being offered. It takes time and a lot of research to figure out the perfect timing.

Experience

Start-ups and small businesses don’t typically have the funding or experience necessary to bring new products to market. While these companies may have fresh and exciting new ideas, turning these ideas into products takes more than good intentions.

Smaller companies could benefit from working with an experienced contract manufacturer. Hiring a CM provides instant access to the tools, techniques, technology, and people needed to bring new products to market. These companies understand the electronics market and know what works and what does not.

Testing

It’s important that companies test each component and part throughout the entire production process. This helps locate problems sooner, when they are easier to fix. Regular testing also helps ensure the finished product performs as expected.

Means Engineering, Inc. offers contract manufacturing services for businesses of all shapes and sizes across a wide range of industries. Please contact us to learn how we can help your company turn ideas into products.

 

Choosing a CM – Questions Every Company Should Ask

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Partnering with a contract manufacturer provides numerous benefits for companies of all shapes and sizes. The right contract manufacturer can help your business grow and expand into new markets. However, it’s important to take some time to research several companies before selecting a contract manufacturer to work with. This is crucial, as you’ll want to make sure the company you work with provides flexibility and room for growth. This helps ensure a long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship.

You’ll want to ask the following questions prior to selecting a CM:

Does the contract manufacturer provide information when requested?

During the interview process, you’ll want to look for a CM that provides information about the manufacturing process, material costs, labor costs, and other overhead costs when asked. If the company you speak with is not upfront and open now, you might have trouble getting information later.

Does the contract manufacturer have a quality assurance program in place?

The right contract manufacturer can help your company produce high quality products and components. However, it’s important to remember that quality can vary from one CM to the next. In order to ensure the highest quality, look for a contract manufacturer that has adopted a comprehensive Quality Management System. The CM you choose should be registered to ISO 9001 and AS 9100.

Is the contract manufacturer’s facility neat and organized?

The cleanliness and organization of a CM’s facility can tell you a lot about how serious they are about quality control. A clean, well-lit, and organized facility ensures projects are completed in a safe and professional manner.

Is the contract manufacturer the right size for your business?

It’s important to select the right-size contract manufacturer for your business. If you are a small to mid-size company, you probably don’t have the same needs as a larger organization. In fact, a larger scale CM might not even take smaller projects.

Will the contract manufacturer protect your intellectual property?

Make sure that the contract manufacturer you choose has processes in place to protect your intellectual property from possible infringes. Don’t be afraid to ask the CM about how they plan to protect your sensitive information.

Means Engineering, Inc. offers a variety of contract manufacturing services to businesses across a wide range of industries. Please contact us for more information about our services.

 

4 Ways Your CM Should Support Your Business

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Working with a contract manufacturer is an excellent way to improve the quality of your company’s products. While you probably already know that using a CM can help reduce costs and improve time to market, it’s important to consider your future goals and whether or not the selected CM can support them. Before choosing a company to work with, make sure that they are able to offer your company the following:

Flexibility

It’s important that your business isn’t restricted by your contract manufacturer’s limitations. Make sure you take the time to find a quality CM that has a flexible team, extensive experience, and a robust quality assurance system in place to support a wide range of needs. Even if you aren’t considering expanding into new markets now, you want to make sure you have the option later.

Scalability

Choose a contract manufacturer that can grow with your business. Many start-ups and small businesses begin with small volume projects. Over time, these companies often find their needs change. The last thing you want is to have to locate a new CM if your needs become too much for your contract manufacturer to handle.

Technology

Technology changes all the time. When it comes to developing new or improving existing products or components, your contract manufacturer should have access to the proper tools and people. This is especially important for companies looking to create electronic devices. The contract manufacturer you choose should utilize the latest techniques and have access to up-to-date technologies. Their people should know how to leverage these technologies to create consistent, high quality products.

Business Contingency Planning

No matter how much you prepare, unforeseen circumstances can occur and impact product supply. It’s crucial that you select a contract manufacturer with a solid contingency plan in place. This helps ensure continuous supply of product even in the event of a natural disaster or other major event.

Means Engineering, Inc. offers contract manufacturing services to businesses across a wide range of industries. We have the tools, people, and technology needed to help your business succeed. Please contact us for information about our 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.

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