Means Engineering, Inc.

Product development engineering in medical, industrial, semiconductor equipment & military with a standard of excellence in form, function and design.


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(760) 931-9452 | info@meanseng.com
5927 Geiger Court, Carlsbad, CA 92008-7305

Electronic Manufacturing Trends

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Electronic Manufacturing Trends

Every year, new trends affect the way that electronics are produced. These trends include electronic devices getting smaller and more efficient as well as the demand for greater connectivity. There are several electronic manufacturing trends that are expected to become increasingly important over the next few years.

The top manufacturing trends for 2018 include increased sustainability of manufacturing facilities and improved air quality management. It’s important for electronics manufacturers to keep up-to-date with these trends if they wish to remain competitive in the industry.

Increased Sustainability of Manufacturing Facilities

As the cost of production continues to rise, it’s crucial that electronics manufacturers maintain a sustainable facility. Manufacturing equipment and software can cost a significant amount of money. Purchasing energy-efficient equipment might cost more at the outset, but could save your company in the long run.

In addition to maintaining energy efficient equipment, it’s important to maintain a cost-effective building as well. This requires a commitment from your entire team. You must invest in the best practices and ensure energy efficiency across all areas of production.

Air Quality Management

Dust presents a number of challenges for electronics manufacturers. Contaminants can affect both the production process and the products produced. Dust particles can cause electrostatic charges, which can short out electronic components.

Dust can absorb and release moisture as needed. This allows dust particles to remain suspended in the air. These airborne contaminants create a potential risk to production and pose a health hazard to humans. The dust created from the production of electronic devices and components can be toxic.

Proper air quality management is essential to electronics manufacturing. Evaporative humidification/cooling systems provide an effective way to reduce dust contamination in manufacturing facilities.

Improving Your Production Facility

Producing electronic products can be challenging for manufacturers. Maintaining a sustainable facility and increasing air quality management might seem like a lot when faced with the pressures involved with producing high quality electronic products. Hiring a contract manufacturing can help ease your workload while you take the necessary steps to improve your facility. A reliable contract manufacturer can help you design, produce and test a wide variety of products.

Producing Electronics for the Defense Industry

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Producing Electronics for the Defense Industry

Electronics are becoming more important for every industry. In the defense industry, electronic devices are used for communication, navigation and the collection of important data. Reliability and quality are crucial when developing electronics for this important industry.

Electronics technology is constantly evolving. Military devices are getting smaller and more functional. The design and manufacture of electronics is focused on improving quality while reducing costs and power consumption.

Military Electronics

Military electronics are often used for long periods of time. They must be able to withstand extreme conditions. Any defect or failure could have serious consequences. Manufacturers producing electronic devices for the defense industry must keep up-to-date with the latest technologies and techniques.

Many military and defense professionals want the same electronic devices they use in their personal lives to be available in their professional lives as well. As a result, wearable electronics are being used more frequently by the defense industry.

Defense Industry Electronics

The defense industry has been leaning towards a purely digital mindset for years. Portable technologies enable military professionals to access critical information and become more efficient. New technologies can be used to enhance workflows and create new opportunities for the industry. These technologies reduce the chance of error and completely eliminate the need for travel.

Electronic products must be smaller, cheaper and faster if military companies wish to remain competitive. Most electronics manufacturers strive to create smaller, lighter products with increased flexibility and portability.

Protection of information is a top concern to military and defense professionals. Electronic systems should be able to reduce cross-channel interference.

Testing Military Products

Military products require sophisticated testing equipment. All devices and electronic components must be thoroughly tested to ensure quality and reliability. Due to limited defense budgets, the cost of electronics must be kept to a minimum as well. Strict budget and testing requirements create a number of challenges for electronics manufacturers. It’s important that the company chosen to produce electronic devices has prior experience with the defense industry.

Means Engineering, Inc. provides design, manufacture and testing of electronic devices for the defense industry. We are an AS9100 certified contract manufacturer.

Can a Contract Manufacturer Help Your Business?

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Can a Contract Manufacturer Help Your Business?

Although each electronics company has its own unique needs and capabilities, there are several parts of the manufacturing process that can be improved with a little outside help. Many electronics companies benefit from working with a qualified contract manufacturer. A contract manufacturer can help with the following situations.

Streamlining the design process

It can be difficult for designers and project engineers to come up with new ideas. A contract manufacturer provides an extra set of eyes when creating new products. Contract manufacturers are often able to figure out ways to make production more efficient. This can save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

Producing large orders

As your company grows, you might find that you simply do not have the manpower or equipment to fulfill large product orders. A contract manufacturer can help you turn out larger quantities of your electronics products without having to purchase additional equipment or hire additional engineers.

Producing smaller, more complex devices

Many electronics companies find it difficult to keep up with technology. Modern electronics components are smaller and more complex than ever before. In order to produce these components, it’s crucial to remain up-to-date with the latest technology. Older equipment simply isn’t able to produce complex devices. Contract manufacturers keep up with the latest technologies and have the equipment necessary to produce small, complex devices.

Avoiding costly design and production errors

If your electronics company does not have the capabilities necessary to fulfill large orders, a lot of time and money can be wasted on creating faulty electronics. Using a contract manufacturer ensures all products are tested regularly for flaws. This allows you to catch and correct problems sooner.

Choosing a contract manufacturer

When choosing a contract manufacturer to work with, it’s important to look for a company with ample experience. They should have strict quality control measures in place to ensure consistent quality of products produced.

Means Engineering, Inc. provides comprehensive contract manufacturing services from our location in Carlsbad, California. We are up-to-date with the latest technologies and are an ISO 9001, AS 9100 and ISO 13485 certified contract manufacturer.

Importance of Quality Control in Electronics Manufacturing

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Importance of Quality Control in Electronics Manufacturing

Outsourced manufacturing is one of the fastest growing trends in the electronics industry today. Many businesses throughout the world use contract manufacturing as a way to cut costs and reduce time to market. This widely accepted business strategy helps businesses of all shapes and sizes remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace. As a result, many contract manufacturers are strengthening their position by upgrading their facilities and improving their practices.

Using a Contract Manufacturer to Produce Electronic Parts

While contract manufacturers used to only provide assembly of electronics components, many now offer design and full production of products. This often includes testing for quality. Contract manufacturers that offer testing must be extremely careful to follow good manufacturing practices, especially when producing products for demanding fields.

Outsourcing your manufacturing and testing of products has a number of benefits including capital risk reductions, increased asset productivity and access to the latest technologies. When you use a contract manufacturer, they handle everything for you, allowing you to focus your attention on other aspects of your business. Using a contract manufacturer also allows you to catch production issues early, when they can be addressed more effectively.

ISO 9001 Certified Contract Manufacturer

The quality of parts produced is extremely important. Effective quality control measures must be in place to ensure overall quality and reliability of electronic parts produced. In addition to quality, other requirements must also be met such as product yields and time to market.

When selecting a contract manufacturer to work with, you will need to ensure they have the proper certifications and standards in place. Compliance with nationally recognized standards such as ISO 9001 ensures consistent, high quality production.

Final Thoughts

As electronic assemblies become more complex, more and more emphasis is being placed on standardizing quality measurement. However, this can be difficult across multiple assemblies and components.

The contract manufacturer you use should have multiple capabilities and certifications. Means Engineering, Inc. is ISO 9001, AS 9100 and IOS 13485 certified to ensure consistent quality of all parts produced. We are committed to meeting and exceeding our customer’s ever-changing quality requirements. We work directly with you throughout the entire manufacturing process.

Using a Contract Manufacturer for New Product Development

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Using a Contract Manufacturer for New Product Development

 As a leading Southern California contract manufacturer, Means Engineering, Inc. has a lot of experience with new product development. We understand what’s important when looking for a company to design and build your product. We also know which details are essential to a positive experience.

Choosing a Contract Manufacturer

 You have many options when it comes to selecting the company responsible for the design and build of your product. However, there are a few things that should be considered before partnering with a contract manufacturer.

The contract manufacturer you choose needs to have the capability you require and should have multiple capabilities. Even if you do not think you need it now, it’s a good idea to select a company that has experience with a wide range of materials and processes. The company you choose should be able to provide engineering support. Having an experienced engineering team on your side can help you spot design flaws you might have missed. They can also suggest ways to reduce cost and time to market.

In order to ensure the highest quality, it’s crucial to select a contract manufacturer that is ISO certified. ISO standards are extremely strict in terms of quality control. Producing a part quickly and inexpensively does you absolutely no good if it does not meet quality standards.

Means Engineering, Inc. is ISO 9001, AS9100 and IOS 13485 certified. This ensures high quality products, time and time again.

Realistic Expectations

It’s not uncommon for companies to have unrealistic expectations when starting the product development process. Many companies underestimate the cost and time it will take for the product to go to market. Before assuming anything, it’s important to make sure that you have all of the facts.

Talk to your suppliers, vendors and contract manufacturers. They are in the best position to provide you with accurate cost and time to market estimates.

Final Thoughts

Before selecting a contract manufacturer for new product development, make sure that you check their references and view their previous work. Respectable companies will be happy to share this information with you.

Means Engineering, Inc. has extensive experience working with a variety of industries including the medical, industrial, semiconductor and defense industries. We provide smart, turnkey solutions and work directly with our clients from concept to completion.

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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