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

Electronic Devices – Understanding How They Work

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Electronic Devices – Understanding How They Work

Electronic devices are a big part of modern day life. From cell phones to appliances, these devices make our lives more comfortable and convenient. If you’ve ever held an electronic device in your hand and wondered how it works, you’re not alone. Most people do not fully understand how electronics do the things they do.

Electronic devices are used by almost every industry to perform a number of tasks. These devices contain electronic circuits, which supply power and control the device. Electronic circuits bring electronics to life.

Electronic Circuits

Electronic circuits are made with a number of electronic components including resistors, capacitors, diodes, and transistors. The resistor restricts the flow of the current, the capacitor stores an electric charge, diodes allow the current to flow in one direction, and the transistor controls the current flow. All of these components are contained inside electronic circuits.

The number and type of components contained on a circuit depends on the type of application the device is being used for. The only similarity between each circuit is the fact that all circuit wires begin and end at the same point.

Printed Circuit Boards

Most electronic devices used today require complex circuits. To make these, designers must carefully arrange components on a circuit board. Many companies use printed circuit boards (PCB) to save time and cost. These plastic boards have their layout chemically printed on their surface.

Integrated Circuits

As technology evolves, electronic devices are getting smaller and more efficient. These devices require complex circuits with several thousand components. Integrated circuits (IC) are commonly used for these situations. ICs are tiny circuits that fit inside a silicon chip. ICs are used in cell phones, laptops, and other advanced electronics.

Contract Manufacturing

Companies wishing to create complex devices often enlist the help of a contract manufacturer (CM). A CM helps improve design and create cost-effective, high quality electronic devices.

An experienced contract manufacturer provides a second set of eyes during the design process. This helps locate areas that can be improved. Companies use contract manufacturing services during product development to help cut costs and reduce time-to-market.

Choosing a Contract Manufacturer

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Choosing a Contract Manufacturer

Companies of all shapes and sizes occasionally need help with the design, production, and testing of products. Sometimes, this is only necessary when introducing new products or fulfilling a period of high demand. Other times, companies may choose to outsource their entire product manufacturing in an effort to save time and money.

Contract manufacturers are skilled professionals with the equipment and technology needed to produce a wide range of products. Using a contract manufacturer can help reduce costs and time-to-market. The right contract manufacturer can also help improve product design and the quality of finished products. This increases consumer trust in your brand.

Choosing a contract manufacturer to work with can be a tricky process. While you may have several options, not all will be able to meet the requirements or expectations of your company.

Experience

The contract manufacturer you choose should have experience with a wide range of industries. This ensures the company you work with is well equipped to handle a variety of needs. While you might not foresee your company expanding into other industries or markets in the near future, it’s important not to limit yourself.

Quality Control

Choose a contract manufacturer with a reputation for exceeding expectations for quality. Choosing a contract manufacturer that has taken the time and effort necessary to become ISO certified helps ensure that the products produced are of the highest quality.

Technologies

Technology changes at an alarming rate. It’s crucial that you choose a contract manufacturer that can keep up with these changes. Select a company that offers the latest technologies and techniques. This helps you remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace.

San Diego County Contract Manufacturer

Means Engineering, Inc. offers contract manufacturing services from our location in Carlsbad, California. Our team of professionals has experience with multiple industries. We are well equipped to handle new product design, production, and testing.

We are an ISO 9001 and AS 9100 certified contract manufacturer. We utilize state-of-the-art technologies and techniques and strive to provide the highest quality products at reasonable rates. Please contact us for more information about our services.

 

Expanding Manufacturing Operations in California

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Expanding Manufacturing Operations in California

Over the past few years, the U.S. has seen tremendous growth in manufacturing operation and employment. This is true for almost every state. However, California manufacturing has experienced very little growth since the economy bottomed out in 2010. In fact, California has only experienced a gain of 1% in manufacturing since that time. The U.S. has experienced an average growth of 6.7% in manufacturing within this same timeframe.

Manufacturing Creates Jobs

One major factor affecting growth in California is the high cost of land and energy. Many California manufacturing businesses simply do not have the funding necessary to produce products or expand their operation. This has led to an increase of companies choosing to relocate manufacturing operations overseas.

The lack of manufacturing operations isn’t good for the millions of people that remain unemployed in California. Manufacturing creates numerous jobs for workers with a wide array of skillsets. The manufacturing industry provides high paying jobs for a less educated workforce. Manufacturing jobs pay these workers approximately 8.4% higher wages than jobs in any other industry.

Support California Manufacturing

Recently, Means Engineering’s General Manager, Tim Hetrick, visited Washington DC to help the California Manufacturer’s Technology Consulting (CMTC) obtain funding from the Federal Government to support manufacturing in California. The CMTC is a non-profit, focused on the development and support of manufacturing operations with less than 500 employees.

During his visit, Tim worked with individuals from the CMTC and other non-profit centers to lobby Congressional Representatives and Senators for full funding of the current budget as well as next year’s budget. This funding will be used to support and expand manufacturing efforts in California.

Funding is crucial if California manufacturing companies wish to remain afloat in an extremely competitive marketplace. Expanding manufacturing operations in California helps create jobs, increase local economies, and reduce the number of operations sent overseas.

Southern California Contract Manufacturer

Means Engineering, Inc. offers design, production, and testing of a wide range of products. Our team of engineers specializes in the production of electronic devices and their components. We have experience working with numerous industries including medical, aerospace, and defense. We are an AS 9100 and ISO 13485 certified contract manufacturer. Our headquarters are located in Carlsbad, California.

Improving Reliability of Electronic Product Design

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Improving Reliability of Electronic Product Design

In today’s ever-changing electronics marketplace, it’s becoming more and more important to produce smaller, cheaper, more reliable devices. As technologies evolve, consumers are constantly looking for high quality, compact devices with increased capabilities. Companies that do not stay on top of the latest technologies, processes, and procedures are likely to fall behind their competition.

Design Process Review

Electronics companies must continuously question the effectiveness of their processes and procedures. In order to create a better product, it’s crucial that you are able to locate areas in the design that could benefit from improvement. Any changes should be cost-effective and benefit both the quality of the finished product as well as the effectiveness of the design process. Unfortunately, many companies do not have the time or resources necessary to properly review their process.

An experienced contract manufacturer provides a second set of eyes for electronic product design review. These individuals are skilled professionals, able to locate problems and improve the design process. Hiring a contract manufacturer eliminates the chance of bias from in-house designers. The right contract manufacturer can help save you money, reduce waste, improve quality as well as time-to-market.

Reliability Testing

Many companies today do not take the time necessary to perform reliability testing. This is understandable, as this process can take months to complete. With new technologies emerging at an alarming rate, new electronic products can become obsolete by the time testing is finished.

Enhanced reliability technologies make it possible to test a variety of electronic products in a short amount of time. These technologies used to be reserved for only aerospace applications but are now available on a much larger scale.

A contract manufacturer has the technologies necessary to thoroughly test electronic devices. This enhances reliability and improves the quality of the finished product. Providing consistently reliable electronic products helps build trust in your brand. This helps keeps you competitive in the electronics marketplace.

Contract Manufacturing

Companies wishing to improve reliability of their electronic design process should consider enlisting the help of a qualified contract manufacturer. A contract manufacturer helps significantly improve the quality of electronic devices, while effectively cutting costs and time-to-market.

 

 

 

 

Developing an Effective Process for New Product Development

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Developing an Effective Process for New Product Development

New product development is crucial to success in an ever-changing marketplace. New products help businesses reach new clients, expand into new markets and increase trust in their brand. Unfortunately, many companies have difficulty with new product development. These companies are either too optimistic or too aggressive.

With technology constantly evolving, the advantages of new electronic devices are often short lived. Companies wishing to stay afloat must constantly develop new ideas and innovations.

In order to create an effective process for new product development, you need to consider your people, products and process. These factors are crucial to success, even if you outsource your new product development to a contract manufacturer.

Team Members

When it comes to your team, it’s important to determine exactly which team members will be responsible for making important decisions. In order to figure out your team members’ roles, you need to thoroughly evaluate the skills and attitudes of each team member.

Every successful team includes people that are willing to attempt new things and make tough decisions. Each person on your team should have a specific job to do based on his or her individual strengths.

New Product

When deciding whether to add to your existing product line or to take a new direction, you’ll need to take a close look at what works and what does not. Evaluate your portfolio for patterns relating to member satisfaction and ROI.

The Process

You’ll need to develop an efficient process for product approval. It’s also crucial to determine exactly how you’ll measure the success of new products.

Outsourcing New Product Development

Many small businesses have a difficult time with new product development. These companies often do not have the space, people, technology or equipment necessary to produce new products. Small businesses can enlist the help of a contract manufacturer.

An experienced contract manufacturer is able to help with the design, production and testing of new products. They provide valuable expertise to help you locate areas to cut costs and make production more efficient. This helps small businesses keep up with ever-changing technologies.

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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