All-in-one: development and production - A+B Electronic expands its portfolio
Anyone who wants to launch an electronic product on the market has many steps to take before it is ready for series production: conception, design, prototyping, testing and certification.
Only when design, functionality and market positioning have been ensured does a product proceed to series production. This is where we at A+B Electronic support our customers. PCB assembly, testing and device assembly with subsequent shipping are our core competencies. Now, however, we are expanding our portfolio to include the steps of electronics development.
Combining development and production: E²MS
The approach of directly combining development and production is not in itself an innovation in the EMS sector. It's called E²MS. Electronic Engineering and Manufacturing Services, instead of Electronic Manufacturing Services. Customers are supported in all stages of device development by a single service provider - from conception, design and prototyping through to series production, testing and delivery.
As an EMS service provider, the integration of development services makes sense in many respects: customers can save time and money by relying on a single provider for all device development processes. At the same time, for the electronics manufacturer this means that the devices are also developed for series production right from the start. There are many obstacles here, from selecting the right components to placing them on the PCB. Design for manufacturing thus becomes an integral part of all processes.
Lack of resources in the development departments
How did the decision come about? In discussions with customers, we have been hearing more and more recently that the development departments can no longer cope with the number of projects. As a result, projects are being postponed or at least taking longer than planned.
Discontinuations of components and increasing delivery times mean that developers are constantly busy redesigning existing products. As a result, new projects often fall by the wayside. For new designs, an availability check for series production is necessary right at the start. This minimizes the risk of using a component that is difficult to procure or is about to be discontinued. In order to correctly assess availability, it is not so much technical knowledge that is needed as a good knowledge of the market.
Another factor is the technological knowledge base. This may not be sufficient for new developments in order to find not only a functional solution, but also one that is up-to-date and commercially optimized. The solution space is simply too large for some tasks. Here too, an external development service provider can support the internal team.
Last but not least, the shortage of skilled workers does not stop at the development departments. Many customers are not even able to find the number of developers they need for new projects.
Development at A+B Electronic: You save resources
The advantages of combined development and production are almost obvious when it comes to resources:
- You receive a design from us that is optimized with regard to discontinuations and material availability. All we need from you is an insight into the design data and specifications. This allows us to search for alternatives and at the same time check the availability of materials. As a result, this means maximum relief for you. Because, if desired, we can carry out the redesign independently right through to series production.
- More than 30 developers from a wide range of specialist disciplines are at your disposal. This gives you exactly the expertise you need for your project. We do not specialize in one sector, but can also bring in new approaches. This ensures that your development meets your project goals in terms of function, time, cost and quality.
- We take over the administration of the development according to your rules and methods. Experienced developers take over the project management and ensure that everything runs smoothly. This is how we get your project to the finish line together.
Optimization of development for production
Assemblies should be developed with automated production in mind. When we receive production data, we often discover problems or, in the worst case, that the assembly is not suitable for automatic production at all. What can still be solved in small quantities with manual work presents us and the customer with major problems in series production. Particularly with regard to time and costs, production must be taken into account right from the development stage.
Inspection and testing also generally play a major role in production. Quality characteristics are defined and must be adhered to. Here too, the course for the testability of an assembly under series conditions is set during development. If the topic is not given sufficient consideration, costly test scenarios with a lot of manual work are often the result. But there is a simpler way.
From development to series production
What are the advantages of working together in production?
- Your product can be technically implemented in series production without any problems. We ensure that the necessary framework conditions are met and thus avoid expensive rework.
- The testability of your finished assembly is already considered during development. Inspections and tests are an essential step in quality assurance. Each test system requires a different assembly design. We therefore look at the time required, the costs and put these in relation to production. This allows us to decide together right at the start whether you need inline testing during production or a test environment with adapters and test programs at the end of the production chain.
- You can make use of our individual training courses and workshops for your own development team. Our experts are happy to share their knowledge in the areas of design for manufacturing or design for testability. This allows you to optimize your module designs and incorporate changes into the circuit design without our direct input.
We carry out our development services in a cooperative network of companies that are partners of ours. With over 30 qualified specialists, we are familiar with all common development methods and rarely reach our limits. Our customers are supported by A+B Electronic from development to series production. Each project is managed by an A+B team leader with responsibility and commitment. This team leader manages project-specific teams with our partner companies.
We also offer the service of an EMC laboratory in which our customers can test the electromagnetic compatibility of their devices. In this way, we can test all the required properties reliably and competently even before certification.
Are you thinking about developing a product or are you already in the development process and need support? Then we are your partner. Together we can get your product ready for series production. Get in touch with us!
