Putting a new product out in the world is a very exciting prospect, but building up a hype about a vision is not always easy. How can you get your customers excited about what you have to offer, when you don't actually have it on offer yet? This is where PCB prototype assembly comes into play. By transforming your ideas into something tangible, you can generate interest in your electronics as a means of testing your target audience for responsiveness to the product or taking pre-orders to fund the manufacture of a larger product supply. Whatever your reasons, developing a professional prototype will make a significant difference for your business. Here's a look at what you can expect when you work with a contract manufacturer to create your PCB prototype. 

Enjoy Help Throughout the Design Process

In some instances, you may have a working concept of what it is that you want your device to be able to do, but you're "stuck" on actually putting those ideas into motion. In this case, you would be best served by hiring a contract manufacturer to help you come up with an efficient and effective design schematic. With a thorough knowledge of industry standards, your partner company will have the ability to streamline your thoughts into a plan for a cutting edge product that is sure to impress your client base. With a little help from professional engineers, you'll find that even better ideas might be brought to the table, taking you and your device to the next level. 

Let the Professionals Bring Your Ideas to Life

Once the design phase has been completed, it is time to move into the PCB prototype assembly process. Whether you and your team were able to entirely develop the schematics for your product in-house, or you worked with your contract manufacturer to further develop your concepts, you will now have the opportunity to see those ideas brought to life in the form of a working prototype. Your contract manufacturer should have an extensive background in developing sensitive electronic devices, and utilize state-of-the-art machinery and equipment when doing so. The product should then be tested for functionality and any errors should be trouble-shooted and corrected promptly. This ensures that you'll be able to go to your customers with an outstanding prototype that will truly impress them. 

Experience Fast, Quality Service

In many cases, you will need help developing your new product fast. If a client is expressing interest in your ideas and would like to set up a meeting to test your products, you need to be able to present your electronics and close the deal quickly. Regardless of when you need your device ready, your contract manufacturer should be able to handle the pressure and navigate through the PCB prototype assembly process in a timely manner. Additionally, working with an American based manufacturer will ensure speedier service and higher quality parts. With a significantly reduced shipping time, you'll receive your prototype much faster. And when you work with a domestic partner, you can rest assured that all industry standards will be adhered to. 

Expand your Market and Grow Your Business

When you have the ability to take even your most basic concepts and turn them into a professional prototype, you will have the opportunity to truly thrive. By developing a working model of your newest product offerings, you can keep up with the competition, stay ahead of the curve, build buzz for your business, and expand your client base.  As you're able to introduce your concepts to the market faster and receive more immediate feedback through the PCB prototype assembly process, you will find that your business will only continue to improve.

An idea is only valuable when it can be shared with the world. Are you ready to take your concepts the next level by working with a contract manufacturer for PCB prototype assembly?

As both the starting point and reference point for all of your products, there is arguably no more important aspect of electronics manufacturing than design. But even if your team is comprised of skilled and knowledgeable engineers, you may not be constructing the best or most efficient devices. How can you ensure that your electronics are a cut above the rest? Here are five incredible design services that you can expect from a qualified contract manufacturer, and how they will work to your benefit. 

1. Useful Insight

Because technology is constantly evolving, electronics engineers and manufacturers are required to constantly keep up with their education, as well as any industry changes. As humans, however, it is impossible for the folks on your team to know everything about everything. That's why it's so smart to enlist the help of electronics design services. Instead of rushing the first draft of your engineer's plans off to be manufactured, it's a good idea to have a contract manufacturing company take a look at the schematics. Your design service may spot changes that could be made to save your business money to improve your device's functionality.

2. Problem Solving

It is possible for even the most experienced designers to get "stuck in a rut" from time to time. When problems or complications arise during the design process, your team may find themselves unable to work out the answer. As days pass by, your employees will grow increasingly frustrated as you lose time and money on your inability to get around the obstacle in front of you. By working with professional electronics design services, you can enjoy the perspective of a fresh set of eyes who will be able to determine the root of the issue and work past it.

3. Thorough Testing

The last thing you want is to pour excessive amounts of money into manufacturing an electronic device that is based upon flawed design schematics. In order to avoid damage to your bank account (and your reputation), it is imperative that you take the time to carefully test your plans before giving the green light to move forward with production. Electronics design services will have the ability to thoroughly test your plans for efficiency and effectiveness.

Additionally, your design service should have the ability to help you create test platforms that are built to your specifications before you ever have to commit to large orders. This will give you the opportunity to test out all of your ideas and prototypes before moving to the advanced production phase, and will ensure that you are able to develop the best products possible. 

Although your electronics business may have a knowledgeable team of engineers who are working in-house, it does not necessarily mean that you wouldn't benefit from a little outside help. Numerous operations make the decision to work with contract manufacturing companies for electronic board design. In some cases, a new set of eyes is required to work out the problems with a particular set of plans, whereas others may be looking to save money as product demand increases. Regardless of your reasons, you can help to improve your devices and your business by finding the right manufacturing partner. Here's a look at what you can expect from professional electronic board design.

Turn Your Ideas into Realities

Your products are only limited by your imagination - especially when you have the best designers and technologies on your side. Skilled engineers with decades of industry experience are more than capable of bringing your concepts and ideas to life through concise, efficient design schematics. Paired with state-of-the-art design software, you can rest assured that the plans for your electronic board design will be a cut above the rest and will give you a competitive edge. Even if you are in the works of developing a brand new device or prototype, you will be able to get your plans set into motion faster. And if you're stuck on a particular problem, your manufacturing partner will be able to pinpoint the issues and come up with a timely solution.

Leave Nothing to Chance

From start to finish, the right contract manufacturer will take care to ensure that your electronic board design is truly flawless. A lot of careful thinking and planning goes into developing the schematics for your product so that it operates seamlessly. Be sure to work with a partner who is able to offer a full range of design services that span throughout the entire product life cycle, such as:

• Product requirements review
• System design
• Circuit design
• Mechanical design
• Embedded Software (firmware)
• Algorithm development
• Testing strategies
• Documentation creation/management
• Sustaining engineering
• RoHS Compliance 

Save Time and Money

There is no reason that working with a contract manufacturing company for electronic board design should not help your business to save both time and money. Your partner's engineers should work diligently to ensure that all of your internal technical resources are utilized exactly when and where you have planned, for maximum value and efficiency. Additionally, your partner should be mindful of keeping your project on schedule and on point with your budget. By taking advantage of automated software programs and skilled employees, your project can be completed faster than had you chosen to go it alone, and errors can be avoided. In the long run, this will save the costs and hassle associated with troubleshooting for faults and redesign. In addition to all of this, experienced contract manufacturers may be able to cut down on the amount of materials required for your project's design, reducing your production costs even further. Multiplied by hundreds of boards, this can make a significant difference in your budget. 

Constantly Improve Your Business

When you have help with the electronic board design process, the minds of your internal designers and engineers are freed up to develop bigger and better ideas. This means that you can be constantly moving toward higher goals and expanding your business. With a greater offering of products and high-tech devices, you will expand your market base and effectively grow your business. As your ideas become more advanced and the demand for your products grows, you will not be held back by a lack of experience, manpower, or technology, as your partner will be able to keep you moving forward.

The success of your business all begins with the initial electronic board design process. By taking the time to get it just right, you can grow your company and thrive. How could you benefit from professional electronic board design services?

In this economy, numerous small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) arelooking for ways to scale back their costs and increase their profit margins. Unfortunately, this means that some electronics companies are questioning whether or not they really need the help of a contract electronic assembly. The problem is that, with limited resources, many businesses are unable to efficiently keep up with consumer demands without the help of a third party. In the end, these particular SMBs may realize (too late) that they actually hurt their sales by not hiring an electronic manufacturing company. Here's a closer look at the top 5 reasons why such a partnership is so important. 

1. Streamline your design processes

In many instances, the design of your electronic devices is actually the most complex, challenging, and time-consuming portion of the manufacturing process. Your team of designers and engineers must carefully work to create a product that will meet the needs of your consumers, be appealing to the market, and operate quickly and efficiently for maximum customer experience. After many hours of slaving away over the schematics, however, your team may actually be too close to the project to notice critical design flaws, errors, or to be able to overcome roadblocks. In these instances, the partnership of a contract electronic assembly and electronic design services is of the utmost importance. Here, a group of skilled and experienced individuals will be able to intervene and ensure that the product design is completed with speed and precision so as to keep your costs at a minimum.

2. Manufacture devices with the latest and greatest technology

Most SMBs lack the funding to keep up with the major league electronics companies when it comes to manufacturing technology. With today's electronics devices growing smaller, lighter, and increasingly complex, though, this is becoming a very big problem. You cannot expect older machinery or assembly line workers to keep up with how quickly and accurately state-of-the-art robotic arms are able to operate. In order to avoid being left in the dust, it is wise for smaller businesses to turn to a contract electronics manufacturer who can supply cutting edge manufacturing technology and provide a competitive edge.

3. Take advantage of deals on high-quality parts

The cost to produce your electronic devices and the prices that you must charge your customers are all impacted by how much money you are required to invest in parts. Unfortunately, suppliers often mark up their prices when working with companies with whom they have not developed a lasting partnership. For smaller businesses, it can take a lot of time and cash to build up such a relationship. The good news is that a contract electronic manufacturing company will be able to do all of the heavy lifting for you. By working with a third party, you can take advantage of the relationships that they have established and enjoy a reduction the the cost of parts without ever being forced to sacrifice quality.

4. Quickly detect and correct problems

If there is a fundamental problem with the design of your device, or if something goes wrong during the manufacturing process, how long would it be before you noticed? Would it be after hundreds of faulty devices were produced, or worse - after the product had been shipped to the end-users? When you work with a third party assembly manufacturing service, your devices will be regularly checked for flaws to ensure that your money will only be spend on the production of high quality and fully functional devices. Any problems will be promptly addressed to ensure that your orders are completed quickly.

5. Get faulty devices repaired and returned to customers faster

Why shoulder the burden of troubleshooting and repairing/replacing faulty equipment yourself? With the right partner, you can cut down warranty costs and get working products back to your clients quicker than ever before.

Are you ready to partner with a professional contract electronic assembly company?

Have you been thinking about hiring a third party manufacturing company to assist you with the design or assembly of your electronics? If so, it is very important that you understand what to look for in a quality and long-lasting business partnership. But with so many options, how can you even know where to begin? In order to help you narrow down your options and make the best decision for your operation, here's a look at the four types of electronic contract manufacturers that you should be looking to hire. 

1. PCB Assembly Manufacturers 

Technology is continuously evolving, and as it does, it is shrinking. Consumers today are demanding electronic devices that, while more complex and functional, are also extremely lightweight and compact. In order for these systems to operate properly and efficiently, printed circuit boards (PCBs) must also become smaller, while being able to support increasingly complicated electrical connections and components. Designing and assembling these tiny PCBs can be challenging, time-consuming, and very costly to electronics operations with finite resources. In order for you to fulfill customer orders, stay competitive, and grow your business, you may want to consider working with professional electronic contract manufacturers. Skilled and capable outsource partners can hep you to overcome and obstacles that your team is meeting and can provide high-tech machinery that will ensure faster, more precise PCB assembly.

2. Systems Assembly Manufacturers

If your business is struggling with systems assembly, electronic contract manufacturers may be able to help. By choosing an experienced business partner that is familiar with all of the demands of system assembly, you can be the recipient of customized solutions that will help to manage your supply chain requirements. Regardless of what level of assistance you require, you can find relief and higher levels of success with the right contract manufacturer. Truly reputable third party companies will be capable of helping you with configure/build to order design schematics, assembly at the chassis, cage, or rack levels, custom cabling, board and system testing, and documentation management so that you can operate more efficiently.

3. Design and Build Manufacturers

There are many electronic contract manufacturers that only offer assembly services. Although this can help you to improve the speed of actually producing a fully designed product, it will not help you to improve the efficiency of your electronics. Despite the fact that your designers and engineers may be skilled at what they do, a fresh pair of eyes can always be of benefit to your business. Your third party design and build service may be able to pinpoint areas of your basic schematics that could be improved, thus saving you money on parts, or enabling you to create products that are easier for end-users to manipulate or that function more smoothly. Throughout the assembly and manufacturing process, your partner will be testing your products for operability and for problem areas that could be fixed. In this way, your business and your products will always be getting better.

4. American Based Manufacturers

At first glance, the electronic contract manufacturers that work offshore may seem like the more economical choice for a business partnership, but you should keep in mind that you get what you pay for. Although many foreign companies offer cheaper services, they also tend to cut corners and use bootlegged parts and system components during product assembly. And because cheap, unskilled labor is utilized throughout production, your devices may end up falling short of the expectations of yourself and your customers. To avoid these problems, it is in your best interest to work with American based companies that follow national manufacturing and assembly standards, and that utilize only high quality parts.


The right electronic contract manufacturers can be a tremendous asset to your business. By looking for these four types of manufacturers, you will enjoy more efficient daily operations, and will be able to provide better products to your customers. 

Whether your electronics business is thinking about seeking out help, or if you already use a third party service, it is very important that you know how to get the most value from your relationship with an electronic contract manufacturer. Although overseas partnerships may offer little more than mediocre product assembly, a qualified and professional service will be able to assist you in numerous areas. To ensure that you enjoy the most benefit from your outsourced help, here are several services that you should expect from your electronic contract manufacturing company.

Assistance with product design

Efficiency during the design phase is crucial to ensuring that your project goes smoothly. In order for your business to develop a product that your customers will be satisfied with, your team must take the time to carefully understand consumer demands and craft an electronic device that will be able to handle numerous functions while still being relatively simple to operate. Unfortunately, this often proves to be more challenging than it sounds.

If you feel as though your small or medium sized electronics business might be in need of some outside help, you're not alone. With technology growing more complex, it's more important now than ever to have the ability to produce compact, lightweight printed circuit boards (PCBs) that will function efficiently within even the most advanced electronic devices. As such, numerous businesses are looking for partnerships with a reliable PCB assembly service. But you can get so much more out of your third party service than just product assembly. In order to get the most value from your relationship, here's a look at six ways that you can use your PCB assembly service to your advantage. 

1. Enjoy state-of-the art machinery

Do you ever wish that you had the financial resources to keep up with the bigger companies? With the help of the right PCB assembly service, you can. Instead of purchasing expensive, cutting edge assembly and manufacturing technologies like robotic arms, you can let your outsourced business partner do all of the heavy lifting for you. In this way, their investment in technology will work to your benefit as your electronic devices will be produced with the latest and greatest machinery. 

2. Use high quality system components

In order to keep your clients and end-users happy with your PCBs, it is extremely important that you only utilize high quality system components, conductors, and parts. It is because of this that it's wise to look for a PCB assembly service that is American based, rather than located overseas. Although foreign companies may offer you a cheaper up-front price, these partnerships will cost you in the long run as many of these enterprises utilize low-grade or bootlegged parts. A qualified assembly company will have access to the best components from suppliers who can offer them great deals, which then results in further savings for your business. 

3. Improve assembly precision

If your current assembly process relies on human labor or dated machinery, it's time to consider seeking the help of a third party service. Because these companies are able to purchase and maintain advanced assembly and manufacturing equipment, you can count on the fact that each one of your PCBs will be assembled with care and absolute precision, meaning that you don't have to waste money on faulty equipment or product recalls.

4. Boost customer satisfaction

When you're able to provide a sophisticated and highly functional PCB to your clients at a reasonable price, they will be far happier with your company and give you their return business. In this way, you will be able to grow financially as contracts are renewed, and the word spreads that your brand name is synonymous with quality and value.

5. Troubleshoot and repair devices faster

When something goes wrong with one of your products, how long does it take for you to get to the root of the problem? When you make the decision to contract with a PCB assembly service, you'll find that it doesn't take nearly as long. Systematic testing and troubleshooting will review the source of the fault faster so that the experts are quickly able to correct the issue and get you back on track.

6. Reduce warranty replacement costs

When you've got a PCB assembly service partner on your side, working diligently to find and correct any problems that customers may be experiencing, you can save money. Instead of being forced to trash the faulty PCB and send your client a warranty replacement, your third party service can fix the underlying issue and get the product returned to your customer fast. Not only will cut back your costs on replacement units, but this will also make you look more professional and capable to your customers. 

Make sure you're always getting the most out of your business partnerships. How can you use your PCB assembly service to further improve your company?

Are you wondering whether or not your electronics business would benefit from a partnership with a contract manufacturing company? Although every company is different and has its own needs, there are certain factors that make it very obvious when an operation is in need of a little outside help. To help you make the best decision for your business, here are the top six signs that you should hire a contract electronics manufacturer.

1. You feel that your product design process could be streamlined

Time is money, so when it starts taking too long for your designers or project engineers to come up with a simple strategy for your electronics devices, it's time to ask for some help from a contract manufacturing company. This isn't to say that your current team is incapable of the task at hand, but rather, that they could benefit from a bit of outside perspective. After spending hours pouring over plans and schematics, your staff may simply be too burned out to notice that there could be a simpler, more efficient way of creating your products so as to save the entire business money. By working with engineers from a third party, your team will develop even more experience and may eventually only need help on a decreased consultation basis. Regardless, it's always good to have another set of eyes on each project.

2. You struggle to produce large product orders

Although your goal is to grow your business, you may be "stuck" if you don't have the manpower or machinery necessary to actually fulfill large purchase orders from major clients. In this case, you won't be able to meet your objectives until you have the assistance of a contract manufacturing company with the ability to turn out higher volumes of your electronic devices. 

3. It is growing increasingly difficult for you to manufacture small, complex devices

As technology advances, it continues to become smaller, lighter, and more compact. Unfortunately, this means that minuscule and extremely complex components must be manipulated during the assembly process. If you're relying on human labor, or dated and clumsy machinery to put your devices together, you could be in trouble. In this case, it would be to your benefit to work with a third party manufacturer who could enable you to take advantage of advanced production technologies and robotics for assembly.

4. You're throwing away too much money on correcting design or production problems

There's nothing worse than spending the time and money on producing a batch of faulty electronics. This often happens when smaller companies feel too rushed to complete an order and lack the manpower to keep an eye on what's going on. Now you must go back and determine where in the design or manufacture process something went wrong and make the necessary corrections. When you've got a professional contract manufacturing partner on your side, however, you can rest assured that your products will be regularly and systematically tested for flaws so that they are detected and corrected early.

5. Your cost to purchase quality parts is too high

If you're spending too much money on parts, it's impossible for you to sell your products at a competitive price point. Purchasing cheap, bootlegged parts from overseas, however, creates even bigger problems for your reputation. So what's the answer? A seasoned contract manufacturing company will have established strong relationships with suppliers, meaning that you can enjoy quality parts for less of a cost. 

6. You require assistance for troubleshooting and repairing equipment

When a customer sends a product back, are you able to quickly pinpoint the problem and fix it? If this is too time-consuming for your team, you should consider working with a third party company to speed up the process. Not only will this cut your costs, but it will keep your customers happier.


So what's the verdict? Should you be using a contract manufacturing company?

So you've made the decision to work with an electronics manufacturing company - now what? Although you have realized a need for assistance in the design and development of your products, you may not know where to begin with your search to find a quality partnership with a third party service. In fact, with so many options available, you may be feeling downright overwhelmed. Fortunately, there's no need to panic. By following this simple, five-step guide, you can quickly and confidently find a great manufacturing partner. 

Five Steps to Hiring a Qualified Electronics Manufacturing Company

1. Experience with complex electronics

Although seemingly obvious, a strong history in working with electronics should never be overlooked. Don't be shy about asking your prospective electronics manufacturing company for detailed information about their knowledge of the industry, and the specific types of technology that your company works with. Seek out partnerships with businesses that are established and have a proven track record so that you can be sure that you will be able to build a lasting relationship. You may also consider asking what education, training, or experience the manufacturing service requires of each of its employees before hiring. This will give you a good idea about the skill level that your partner team will actually possess. 

2. Positive, ongoing customer relationships

If the electronics manufacturing company that you are considering working with is truly all that it's cracked up to be, they will have a loyal client base to show for it. Take the time to find out what percentage of your potential service's customers actually renew their contracts. When the majority of the company's clients choose to continue doing business with them, you will feel more confident that you are making the right move. Be sure to also ask the manufacturing business for customer references. A solid, reputable service will be more than happy to do so.

3. The ability to assist in multiple areas

The last thing that you want is to hire a one trick pony. As you look to contract with an electronics manufacturing company, you should take care to find one that is able to help you in numerous aspects of your business. Although you initially may only seeking out help in the manufacturing process itself, you may find that down the road you could benefit from other areas. For example, if your team of engineers experiences difficulty on a particular project, or hits a roadblock, your third party service may be able to step and find answers to the problems that you are having. Additionally, it's wise to work with a manufacturer that also tests, troubleshoots, and repairs electronics.

4. Partnerships with reputable suppliers

The problem with overseas electronics contract manufactureing is that they often use cheap or bootlegged parts in order to cut down production costs. For obvious reasons, this will detract from the value of your devices and may cause serious damage to your company's reputation. Because of this, it's very important that you select a manufacturer that has developed strong partnerships with suppliers who offer them high quality parts at reasonable rates.

5. A true concern for quality control

Always make sure that your electronics manufacturing company is actually passionate about what they do. When a business truly cares about their industry and takes pride in what they do, you will always receive excellent  products that will please your clients and boost your business. 


Bonus tip: Make sure the numbers add up

It may be tempting for you to go with the lowest bidder, but keep in mind that if it seems too good t be true, it probably is. Cheap manufacturing services yield cheap products. On the flip side, however, make sure you aren't being ripped off or overcharged. An honest, reliable partner will not mark-up parts beyond that which is necessary.


Now go out and find a great electronics manufacturing company to partner with!

Because the majority of the population relies upon the use of electronics each day, it is becoming increasingly important for these devices to be user-friendly. Most people want to be able to utilize light, compact technology that will allow them to accomplish multiple tasks in a relatively simplistic manner. But even though the goal of manufacturers is to develop simplistic products for their end users, the design and production process still remains quite complex. As such, a growing number of companies are beginning to turn to electronics contract manufacturing services for help in developing high-quality tech that will please the masses. Here's a quick look at what goes into developing even the most simplistic units, and why a bit of outside help is often needed.

Four Complex Steps Involved in Creating Simple Electronics

1. Understand consumer needs

It's been said that you can't please everyone all the time, but when you're developing technology for a large group of end-users, you've got to give it your best shot. The first step to developing an electronic device that will be profitable for your business is to take the time to learn exactly what it is that your target audience wants and needs. Although this may sound like a simple enough task, you may find yourself quickly becoming overwhelmed by the many demands of your market. This is where the assistance of an electronics contract manufacturing company may come in handy. With superior electronics design and production experience, your business partner may be able to help you to find ways to condense and consolidate consumer desires, making your product less costly to create, and more desirable to your customers.

2. Design multi-functional devices that's easy to use

Once you've got a strong, working idea of what it is that your product will actually need to be able to do, you've got to find a way to make it simple for your customers to use. Although your team may have the intelligence and skills required to understand and design extremely complex technology, they may struggle with the ability to scale it back a bit and make it extremely easy for end-users to manipulate. If your engineers have hit any roadblocks, they may benefit from a new set of eyes. Your electronics contract manufacturing service can help to simplify the plans, resolve any issues, and make sure that your consumer market will be able to perform even the  most complex operations with just a few clicks of a button.

3. Manufacture products that are tech-dense, but lightweight

Today's customers want electronics that are lightweight and small, so you must find a way to meet their demands. Unfortunately, working with tiny components and parts by hand can be very time-consuming, costly and difficult, and can result in human errors. At the same time, the cost to purchase robotic arms that could easily manipulate these components can be overwhelming for small to mid sized businesses. The good news is that a professional contract manufacturing partner will enable you to take advantage of robotics and other advanced technology to produce your devices faster and more precisely than ever before. 

4. Test for functionality and user friendliness

Finally, you must always test your electronics before introducing them to the mass marketplace. In addition to performing an in-house check for functionality, it's also wise to gather a small test audience to determine how easy it actually will be for your consumers to learn how to operate your devices and perform tasks. Should there be any hiccups along the way, you'll need to go back and correct the issues so that your market will have the best possible response to your product. In order to solve these problems for the lowest cost and with the fastest turnaround time, it's wise to team up with your electronics contract manufacturing vendor.