Outsourcing a Box Build Assembly – 5 Items to Consider
Box builds range from a single printed circuit board inside a basic plastic case to complex electro-mechanical systems housed in a rugged metal and plastic shell. Box builds are much more than the printed circuit board your company may make or design. It includes subassemblies, mechanical components, wiring, cables, and installation in a protective enclosure. This is typically the completed, integrated system that gets shipped to your customer. That is why you cannot afford to deliver less than the best. Companies may outsource their box build assembly for a variety of reasons. What are the key issues to consider when outsourcing a box build assembly?
Their Technical Capabilities
There are box build assembly manufacturers that can’t assemble anything more complex than putting a simple PCB inside a plastic housing with an electrical plug and USB port on the outside. Other companies can assemble multiple printed circuit boards with complex wiring harnesses inside a large rugged case that will protect sophisticated electronics. There’s no point outsourcing a complex box build to a company that can’t make something that complex. And you may be overpaying if you send a simple design to a high-end electronics manufacturer when trying to determine outsourcing a box build assembly.
Another variation of this is the size of the build box. In general, the larger the assembly, the fewer manufacturers that can handle it. This is why you can find many potential suppliers when you want to outsource a build box the size of a standard Wi-Fi router but far fewer choices when you want to build a two-meter tall cell site.
Their Production Capacity
Are you trying to build a prototype or low rate initial production run? Some manufacturing houses won’t consider building a sample unit for you, while others specialize in low volume, high mix operations. If you’re trying to build a variety of prototypes, you may want to outsource the construction to an electromechanical supplier who can source the materials except what you choose to supply, assemble it, and build it to specification. In many cases, they can make the PCBs, too, that go into the printed circuit board assembly.
If you simply need to take advantage of someone else’s manufacturing capacity to meet a spike in demand, you may outsource the entire manufactured assembly to the third party and work out the logistics of delivery. In other cases, electronics design firms specialize in design while hiring a box build assembly firm to make their products for end customers.
The Services Included in the Final Package
When outsourcing a box build assembly, consider everything the company is doing for you. Are they just going to assemble your printed circuit boards and the identified off-the-shelf components in a shell? Will they be packaging and labeling products for you? What kind of testing will they perform on the components and final assembly? What type of records will they maintain for you, and what industry certifications might their testing help you meet? Will they load software and verify it works properly? Or are they just an assembly partner, putting together the parts you provide and/or specify? Verify that they’ll deliver fully integrated final assemblies before you get a quote if that’s what you want from your supplier.
One reason why companies outsource box builds is that they’re shifting software installation and general system testing to someone with the tools and expertise to do it correctly and quickly. This means the price they’re charging for the service is worth it since it would take your team longer to complete your outstanding order.
Overall Quality
If you’re making five-dollar toys, quality doesn’t matter much once you know that it works and is safe to hand off to children. If you’re making expensive consumer electronics or critical pieces of infrastructure, quality is essential. Ask the contract manufacturer what quality standards and industry standards they meet. It isn’t enough to say you’re using ISO 9001 parts. Do they perform factory acceptance testing and verify that the final product meets every industry standard your customers expect you to meet?
Expectations of the Relationship
You’re going to want to have finalized drawings and a bill of materials before you begin getting quotes. However, the contract should include far more than the price of each assembled item and the services to be provided. How fast can the product be manufactured? How quickly will they fulfill an order for 100 or 10,000?
Another factor to consider is how you’ll handle change requests. What happens if you’re running simulations and discover a potential problem? How quickly will the production plan be altered? How will software updates and rewiring be handled for items already in inventory? How tightly will their engineering team interact with yours? Suppose you’re designing the next version of your flagship product. Can they send you 3d CAD models of the housing they’re designing, so that you can verify it works in simulations of your product? In these cases, you’ll want to know that they use the same CAD packages you do. The supply chain is always changing, since your suppliers may discontinue parts or simply can’t deliver on schedule.
Can the build box supplier support you in this process? For example, if you send component drawings, can they find suitable alternate parts? Not every PCB manufacturer can or will provide this level of engineering support. Some will just build the final product you requested with your original CAD files and parts list. Others will take your rough drawings and return a completed example and an efficient box build assembly process to mass-produce it if you hire them to make the next ten thousand.
No matter your box building needs, trust the experts at Geospace Technologies to provide first-rate products and services. With a keen eye for quality, we’ll build your product to the specifications you desire to ensure the utmost satisfaction. Ready to get started? Reach out to a representative today!