ISO 9001 Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Means Engineering, Inc.

Using Value Engineering to Improve Quality and Reduce Costs

February 16, 2018 By meiadmin

Using Value Engineering to Improve Quality and Reduce Costs

Companies around the globe are under a lot of pressure to create high quality products at the lowest cost possible. This is especially true for the medical, defense and aerospace industries.

Understanding Value Engineering

Value engineering involves finding creative new ways to produce products at a lower cost. Although many companies associate value engineering with a reduction of quality, the main goal should be to increase quality while reducing the costs of production. This benefits companies in all industries.

There are currently two main types of value engineering used by manufacturers. Process value engineering involves removing waste from the production process. This boosts efficiency and lowers costs. Product value engineering involves changing the design of a product to reduce costs and waste while improving the quality of the finished product.

While process value engineering focuses on waste and is an important part of lean production, it does nothing to increase the quality of products produced or the overall efficiency of the production process.

Benefits of Product Value Engineering

Even though product value engineering helps cut costs, this isn’t the only benefit. Product value engineering encourages companies to search for creative new ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Product value engineering comes from a truly technical perspective. The engineer creating the product must fully evaluate its design to locate unique ways to improve the efficiency of production. This can add significant value to the product produced.

Using a Contract Manufacturer

Companies looking to improve product quality while reducing costs often seek out a second set of eyes. A qualified contract manufacturer can provide a thorough analysis of product designs. They can help you locate areas that can benefit from improvement.

Contract manufacturers help with the design, production and testing of a variety of products. Means Engineering, Inc. has experience working with a wide range of industries. Our experienced engineers are skilled at locating ways to improve efficiency and reduce the costs of production.

We are an AS 9100 and ISO 9001 certified contract manufacturer. This helps ensure the quality and reliability of products produced.

Top Industries That Benefit From Contract Manufacturing

February 9, 2018 By meiadmin

Top Industries That Benefit From Contract Manufacturing

Contract manufacturing benefits businesses in a wide range of industries. A qualified contract manufacturer helps businesses design, produce and test a variety of products. This is ideal for small businesses and start-ups as well as businesses in industries with strict regulations.

Although contract manufacturing can help businesses of all shapes and sizes, there are some industries that benefit most from outsourcing.

Medical Industry

People all around the world use medical devices. These important devices help diagnose, treat and monitor millions of people everyday. It’s no surprise that companies creating medical devices must follow extremely strict regulations. Using a contract manufacturer helps reduce costs and ensure the creation of high quality medical devices.

ISO 13485 certified contract manufacturers are committed to providing high quality devices that meet or exceed regulations and requirements.

Defense Industry

In the defense industry, electronic devices are used for communication, navigation and the collection of important data. Proper operation of these devices is crucial. Manufacturers designing products for the defense industry must focus their efforts on increasing quality, while reducing power consumption and costs.

An AS9100 certified contract manufacturer helps companies create high quality, reliable products for the defense industry. A qualified contract manufacturer should be able to design, produce and fully test a wide range of products.

Aerospace Industry

When designing devices to be used in space, care must be taken to ensure that they are able to withstand extreme forces. These devices must be fully tested before use.

Companies working in the aerospace industry often utilize the help of a contract manufacturer to create their products. These products are carefully designed to resist damage or malfunction when placed under extreme forces.

Working With a Contract Manufacturer

There are many benefits to working with a contract manufacturer. Companies in the previously mentioned industries often hire contract manufacturers to design, build and test products or the parts of a product. Contract manufacturing can also be used for new product development and to fill orders during times of high demand. Using a contract manufacturer allows companies to create new products without having to obtain new technology or equipment.

Top 4 Things to Look For in Contract Manufacturer

January 12, 2018 By meiadmin

Top 4 Things to Look For in Contract Manufacturer

Both small and mid-size companies sometimes find it difficult to meet the increasing demand of the electronics industry. These businesses often do not have the space, people, technology or equipment to fulfill large orders or produce new products. Instead, they must outsource production to a contract manufacturer.

A contract manufacturer can help with the design, production and testing of electronic products. An experienced contract manufacturer has the proper technology and equipment to complete large and/or difficult orders.

When selecting a contract manufacturer to work with, it’s important to ensure the company you choose can help keep your customers satisfied and your business growing. There are a few things you should look out for when hiring a contract manufacturer. Let’s take a look at the top 4.

Experience

When selecting a contract manufacturer, you will want to make sure that they have the skills and experience necessary to produce your products. They should have experience working with a variety of industries. They should have a reputation for providing consistent, high quality products. Highly trained individuals should operate the company and demand the same level of excellence from their staff.

Flexibility

The needs of your business can change. While you might only require assistance with the production of products in high demand now, you might need help with new product development later. The best contract manufacturers will offer a variety of services on an as-needed basis.

Up-to-date Technology

In order to remain competitive in the electronics industry, you need to be able to provide cutting-edge products. Choose a contract manufacturer who stays up-to-date with techniques, technology, industry standards and equipment.

Quality Control

The quality of your products says a lot about your business. High quality products increase consumer trust in your brand. It’s crucial to work with a contract manufacturer with a comprehensive Quality Management System. This helps ensure the reliability and quality of products produced.

Means Engineering, Inc. offers high quality contract manufacturing services to a variety of industries. We offer a wide range of services including design, production and testing. We are an ISO 9001 and AS 9100 certified Southern California contract manufacturer.

Electronic Manufacturing Trends

January 5, 2018 By meiadmin

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.

Importance of Quality Control in Electronics Manufacturing

September 22, 2017 By meiadmin

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.