contract manufacturing Archives - Page 14 of 29

Should Your Electronic Business Use a Contract Manufacturer?

July 19, 2019 By meiadmin

Hiring a contract manufacturer provides numerous benefits to businesses in the electronics industry. Working with a quality CM has been shown to reduce costs, improve quality and customer satisfaction, while reducing time to market. With access to experienced professionals and high quality tools and technology, the right partnership can provide the extra boost you need to grow and expand into new markets.

If you’ve been wondering if your electronics business could benefit from hiring a contract manufacturer you’re not alone. Many people struggle with the decision of outsourcing. While outsourcing might not be the right choice for every business, failing to explore your options could cost you a lot of time and money. Read on to learn whether your electronic business could benefit from working with a contract manufacturer.

Your Design Process Could Benefit From Streamlining

The electronics industry is extremely competitive. Consumers today expect new products to hit the shelf at an alarming rate. Electronics businesses often find it difficult to keep up with consumer demand. This can cause problems when the competition consistently beats your products to market.

An experienced contract manufacturer can help streamline your design process and reduce holdups that are common in house. This makes it possible to bring new products to market sooner.

You Can’t Fulfill Large Orders

If your business struggles to fulfill large orders it’s probably time to consider outsourcing. It takes a lot of time, people, space, and equipment to produce large amounts of electronic products. Outsourcing takes the stress and expense off your shoulders, making it possible to fulfill large orders without requiring additional time or money.

You’re Spending Too Much on Design or Production Problems

Problems with design or production can cost your business a lot of time and money. A contract manufacturer can help if you’re spending too much money and effort fixing design or production problems. The right contract manufacturer helps you spot problems sooner, when they are easier (and less expensive) to resolve.

Means Engineering provides contract manufacturing services designed to help our clients succeed. Please contact us to learn how we can help your electronics business.

Trends Impacting Medical Device Manufacturing

July 12, 2019 By meiadmin

The medical device industry plays an important role in the lives of humans. Medical devices perform a number of functions designed to enhance and enrich the lives of the people that use them. Some devices even assist with lifesaving procedures. Regardless of how they are used, humans would be much worse off without these important devices.

Every year new trends emerge that impact the medical device industry. Medical device manufacturers have had to adjust to meet changes to rules and regulations and shifting economies.

Miniaturization

Medical devices get smaller each year. This trend isn’t going anywhere either. As the medical industry utilizes more laparoscopic and catheter-based technologies, medical device manufacturers will need to continue to improve functionality of these miniature devices.

Automation

As technology evolves, we’re seeing an increase of automation in the medical device manufacturing process. Manufacturing employees today must know how to operate the technology used to by computer-directed machinery.

Partnerships With U.S. Based Contract Manufacturers

The cost of manufacturing overseas is becoming more expensive. In fact, outsourcing costs can reach as high if not higher than keeping production in the United States. This is leading to an increase in partnerships with U.S. based contract manufacturers.

Quality Assurance

Partnering with an experienced contract manufacturer helps ensure the consistency and reliability of finished products. This is extremely important in the medical device industry as manufacturers of these important devices are under a lot of pressure to comply with strict rules and regulations. The right contract manufacturer will have quality assurance processes in place to determine consistent quality throughout every stage of production. This allows manufacturers to catch issues long before they cause a problem with the finished product. It also allows for continuous improvement.

Contract Manufacturing for the Medical Device Industry

Means Engineering provides a variety of contract manufacturing services. We have years of experience working with the medical device industry and understand the strict rules and regulations of the medical device industry. Our team works directly with you to design, produce, and test a wide range of products. Our services enable growth and improve the likelihood of repeat sales and referrals.

What is Contract Manufacturing?

June 7, 2019 By meiadmin

We’ve all heard of situations where people turned their ideas into products and became rich seemingly overnight. While not always as easy is it seems, this can happen to anyone that has the right idea and the resources needed to bring it into fruition.

The right contract manufacturing partner can help turn ideas into reality. They work directly with the person or business to help them produce high quality products.

How it Works

An experienced contract manufacturer provides a variety of manufacturing services. They have the tools, equipment, skills, and people needed to produce a wide range of products. Companies wishing to produce products can utilize the help of a contract manufacturer for some or all parts of production. Working with a contract manufacturer can significantly reduce costs and time to market, while increasing the overall quality of the finished product.

Who Uses Contract Manufacturing Services?

Businesses of all shapes and sizes across a wide range of industries outsource to contract manufacturers. Companies use contract manufacturing services to fill periods of high demand, improve the quality of existing products, and reduce costs associated with production.

Outsourcing makes it possible for organizations to produce a wide range of products without having to acquire the space, equipment, or people needed to fulfill orders. This makes it possible for even small businesses to turn ideas into reality.

Benefits of Contract Manufacturing

Outsourcing provides numerous benefits. Utilizing a contract manufacturer costs considerably less than producing products in house. It also provides access to the knowledge and experience of industry experts. When used during design, a contract manufacturer can help locate areas that could benefit from improvement. This might include changing materials or adjusting measurements. These changes often lead to a smoother production process and faster time to market.

Means Engineering, Inc. provides a variety of contract manufacturing services. Located in Carlsbad, California, our team has years of experience assisting with design, production, and testing of a wide range of products. We work directly with each of our clients to ensure complete satisfaction. Please contact us for more information about our contract manufacturing services.

New Product Introductions (NPI)

May 24, 2019 By meiadmin

The NPI process is one of the most important parts of contract manufacturing. This is especially true for contract manufacturers responsible for the creation of electronic products and components.

It’s important to ask about NPI processes when choosing a CM to work with. The company you choose should have robust processes in place. They should take care to ensure every product is introduced into their manufacturing operation in a tightly controlled manner.

Visibility

Contract manufacturers often have several different projects going at once. It’s important that the CM you work with has a way to alert the engineering team of new builds. Ideally, the engineering team should receive a report detailing the customer name, batch quantity, part number, work order number, customer request date, order acknowledgement date, and the name of the customer’s account manager. Once the engineering team has the report, they can create an NPI number for the order.

Data Verification

While it’s not uncommon for additional data to come after the original request for quote, this can lead to problems with production. Before beginning any work on the project, the engineering team must first verify that they have all data and equipment needed to complete the first build.

Batch Size

Prior to production, the CM must determine how many products to produce. While it can be tempting to run the entire batch quantity on the first run, this is never a good idea. Running a smaller quantity allows CMs to catch potential problems with the product prior to volume manufacturing. This can save a considerable amount of time and effort in the future.

Assembly

It’s important that the NPI engineer oversees all parts of production including testing. The notes they keep throughout this process can be used to improve the quality of the next batch.

New Products

It’s important to note that the NPI process shouldn’t be limited to brand new products. It should also apply to products that are essentially new to the CM, meaning they’ve never worked on them before.

Means Engineering, Inc. provides a variety of contract manufacturing services. Our team works directly with you throughout the NPI process. Please contact us for more information about our comprehensive services.

Choosing the Right CM for Your Business

May 17, 2019 By meiadmin

Working with a contract manufacturer provides numerous benefits to businesses both large and small. The right contract manufacturer can help a business grow and expand into new markets. They can help improve the quality of products produced, increasing customer trust and loyalty. In the electronics industry, a contract manufacturer can help businesses keep up with changing demands. While partnering with a CM can help improve the success of a business, it’s important that organizations take care when choosing a partner to work with.

Service Offerings

Contract manufacturers offer a wide range of services. While some offer production services, others offer everything from design to testing. Businesses should consider their unique needs and requirements when selecting a partner to work with.

Flexibility

Flexibility is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a contract manufacturer. The CM should have experience working with a wide range of industries. This is true even if the business does not plan to expand into new markets. Most companies find that things change as their businesses grows. Working with an experienced CM ensures that options remain open if plans change in the future.

Quality

Quality is important when producing products. This is especially true for businesses providing products and components for the medical and defense industries. Companies should look for a CM with a respected Quality Management System in place. This helps ensure the quality and consistency of every product produced.

Ensuring high quality products increases the chance of success. This is true for both new businesses and well-established companies.

Cost

Contrary to what most business owners believe, it’s not a good idea to choose the lowest priced contract manufacturer. Businesses often find that low prices become much higher once production begins. Companies should consider their needs and look for an experienced CM that can provide the services they require. Taking the time to research capabilities and strengths can go a long way towards preventing problems in the future.

Means Engineering, Inc. offers a variety of contract manufacturing services. Our team has years of experience working with numerous industries. Please contact us to learn more about our services.