meiadmin, Author at Means Engineering, Inc.

Effect of Temperature on the Lifespan and Reliability of Electronics

March 1, 2019 By meiadmin

Electronic devices must be able to perform in a variety of environments. This is especially true for electronic parts and components used by the medical, aerospace, and defense industries. Serious consequences can occur if electronic devices used by these industries fail.

Electronic Design

Reliable electronics begin with efficient design. Designers must consider the type of environment where finished products will be used. This helps determine the appropriate materials, components, packaging, and necessary cooling techniques.

Temperature Control

All electronic components are subject to failure due to overheating. Any increase in temperature can result in a reduced lifespan. This includes increase in temperature due to ambient temperature of the environment, heat produced by the device itself, and the product’s efficiency at heat removal.

There are numerous methods of temperature control. It’s important that designers and manufacturers consider these methods when creating new electronic devices and components. Common cooling techniques include free convection cooling, forced air cooling, and liquid cooling. Each method offers its own unique benefits. The type of cooling technique used will depend on a number of factors based around the intended use of the finished product.

Electronic Device Production

Organizations responsible for the creation of electronic parts and devices for the aerospace, medical, or defense industries must take care to ensure products do not fail due to excessive temperatures. This can be difficult to accomplish without the knowledge, experience, and equipment needed to test products in extreme environments.

Partnering with a quality contract manufacturer can help these companies produce high quality products able to withstand even harsh conditions. Contract manufacturers provide a variety of services including design, production, and testing. At Means Engineering, our testing capabilities allow us to expose electronic parts and devices to a variety of environments. We can test products for reliability underwater, in space, and in extreme temperatures. This allows us to ensure that electronics do not fail when they are needed most.

Our designers can help you determine which cooling techniques your device requires. We have access to the latest tools, equipment, and technology. This makes it possible for us to produce reliable, long-lasting products for a variety of industries.

Is Your Contract Manufacturer Providing the Support You Need?

February 22, 2019 By meiadmin

Contract manufacturers provide a wide range of services. While your reasons for using a contract manufacturer can vary, it’s important that the relationship is beneficial to both parties. A contract manufacturer should provide your company with a variety of services designed to reduce costs and time to market.

The right contract manufacturer has access to the people, equipment, and resources needed to help your company create new products and expand into new markets. This is important as it provides the tools needed for growth and success.

When selecting a contract manufacturer to work with, you’ll want to find a partner that can provide you with the services you require.

Flexibility

Depending on the needs of your company, it’s a good idea to select a contract manufacturer that offers a variety of services. While you might not require design services yet, your needs may change. Choose a company that offers a variety of options. They should have experience with multiple industries and access to the latest equipment and techniques.

Your contract manufacturer’s limitations should never affect your business. It’s important to choose a contract manufacturer with the team and quality assurance systems needed to meet the changing needs of your customers.

Scalability

Whether you own a start-up or a large corporation, it’s important to choose a contract manufacturer that can help you grow your business. Look for a quality contract manufacturer that offers a variety of services from assistance with design plans to full scale production and testing of a wide range of products. Even if you don’t need the additional services now, you’ll be grateful later when you do.

Diverse Technology

Consumers expect more out of electrical products than ever before. It’s important to work with a contract manufacturer that keeps up to date with the latest technologies and techniques. This helps ensure customer satisfaction and allows you to produce a wide range of complex products.

Means Engineering Inc. offers quality contract manufacturing services for organizations of all shapes and sizes. We have experience working with a variety of industries. Our capabilities include design, production, and testing of a wide range of parts and products.

Outsourcing Custom Electronics

February 15, 2019 By meiadmin

Custom electronic projects take a lot of special consideration. When outsourcing these projects, it’s important to have a clear understanding of your needs up front. These needs must be communicated with your contract manufacturer to ensure the project’s proper completion. It’s important to consider the following prior to outsourcing.

Volume Requirements

Storing massive amounts of inventory is expensive. In fact, it’s one of the fastest ways to lose money. Outsourcing allows you to create smaller batches of custom electronics. This costs significantly less than producing small batches in house or producing large quantities to store.

Discuss your volume requirements with your contract manufacturer. This lets them know what to expect now and in the future. An experienced CM can provide you with suggestions on the best way to move forward.

Budget

Producing custom electronics takes a lot of space, people, equipment, and technology. In order to produce high quality custom electronics, you’ll need to consider the skills and expertise of your staff. If you feel that you have what it takes to produce these products on budget in-house, then this is probably the best option. However, outsourcing is the better choice if you think you’ll need to acquire more people or equipment to complete the project.

Time

Partnering with an experienced contract manufacturer can reduce the time it takes to complete your project. However, it might also cause delays moving product from one place to the next. It’s important to speak with your contract manufacturer about expected deadlines. Once you have a better understanding about how long the project will take, you need to compare it with the length of time it will take to produce the same custom electronics in-house.

Quality Control

Many small businesses do not put enough thought into quality control. This can cause a major problem, especially if electronic parts or components will be used in dangerous or demanding situations. Working with an ISO certified contract manufacturer helps ensure that products meet strict requirements for quality and reliability. These contract manufacturers have taken all necessary steps to ensure the quality and consistency of every product produced.

Developing a Mutually Beneficial Relationship With Your Contract Manufacturer

February 8, 2019 By meiadmin

Small businesses and entrepreneurs often seek help when creating electronic products. Many of these companies simply do not have the people, equipment, space, or technology needed to produce new products.

Sometimes, these businesses need assistance creating electronic parts or components. Other times, they are looking to have an entire product produced. Whatever the case, there are a few things that can make the process go more smoothly.

Prepare Your Design Files

If you’ve created design files you’ll need to provide these to your contract manufacturer along with your Bill of Materials (BOM). This helps your contract manufacturer provide an accurate quote. It also ensures that everyone is on the same page right from the start.

If you don’t have design files, that’s alright as well. A contract manufacturer can help turn your ideas into functional products. They often employ teams of experienced individuals, capable of designing a wide range of products for multiple industries. At Means Engineering, we work directly with many of our clients from concept to completion.

Discuss Quantity Expectations

When searching for a contract manufacturer you need to ensure the company you choose is well prepared to handle the quantities you need. Make sure you discuss the number of different assemblies you plan to have produced including how many you’ll need in your first order and future orders.

Plans for Ongoing Production

A quality contract manufacturer acts as your partner. They stay by your side for as long as you need them. Don’t be afraid to talk to your contract manufacturer about your long term plans for production. This sets the foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship. Even if your production needs surpass what your contract manufacturer can handle, they likely have connections with other respectable companies.

At Means Engineering we provide design, production, and testing of a wide range of electronic products and components. We employ a team of experienced professionals and are pleased to pass our knowledge and experience to our valued customers. We strive to provide exceptional customer service, while exceeding customer expectations for quality and reliability.

Turning Ideas Into Functioning Products

February 1, 2019 By meiadmin

Companies today are under a lot of pressure to create high quality electronic products. Modern day consumers expect more features and options than ever before. In order to be successful, companies need to keep up with their competition. This means developing new products at an alarming rate.

It’s not enough to simply have good ideas. You need to be able to turn those ideas into functioning products. Unfortunately, many companies find this difficult.

Once they begin the development process they find themselves in an abyss of complicated regulations and manufacturing challenges. At this point, they probably need some help. Partnering with a qualified contract manufacturer can help these businesses turn their ideas into reality.

Electrical and Mechanical Design

If possible, it’s a good idea to enlist the help of a contract manufacturer during the design process. This helps locate areas of your design that could benefit from improvement. This can significantly reduce the cost of production and improve the quality of the finished product.

A contract manufacturer acts as your partner throughout the design process, providing you with knowledge backed by years of experience. This is perhaps the biggest benefit of working with a contract manufacturer.

Sometimes, small details get missed during the design process. These details could mean the difference between a functioning product and the need to start over. A contract manufacturer provides a second set of eyes for design plans, ensuring nothing gets missed.

Hardware Development

During hardware development, you move from simply talking about your product to creating the BOM, PCB layout, and mechanical parts. It’s important to fully test each component at this stage. This helps locate potential issues before you move into full scale production.

A contract manufacturer can help with testing of a wide range of parts and components.

Documentation

An often overlooked requirement, documentation is important for the maintenance of your design. Depending on the intended use of your finished product you might need a wide range of documentation including product manuals, start-up guides, and maintenance manuals. A contract manufacturer can help you determine the documents required for your specific product.

Procurement

It can be tempting to go with the cheapest option when procuring components. Unfortunately, many of these options are poor quality counterfeits. Using counterfeit components can negatively affect the quality of your finished product. It can also affect your compliance with industry regulations. It’s important to work with someone who understands the importance of using quality components.

Production

At this point, it’s a good idea to hand off your project to an experienced contract manufacturer. Means Engineering has years of experience working with a number of companies across a wide range of industries. We work directly with you throughout all parts of production to ensure high quality, reliable finished products.