What Should You Look for in an Electronic Manufacturing Service?

With a vast amount of options in the electronics manufacturing service (EMS) industry, it can be challenging to decide which manufacturer is right for you. You know you want your product to be developed efficiently and successfully, but knowing exactly what to look for to ensure that happens is another matter. Here are seven things to take into consideration when selecting an EMS partner.

1: Experience

The more experience a business has with manufacturing electronics, the better. Established electronic manufacturers are incredibly knowledgeable about the industry and can be relied on to produce quality products. We recommend interviewing more than one manufacturer, and when you meet, ask your potential partners how much experience they have in electronic manufacturing. From there, you can determine which companies have worked on projects similar to yours.

2: Design proficiency

Your outsource partner should be able to meet you where you are in the design process, whether that means making initial outlines or amending your most recent prototype. A great electronic manufacturer will be ready and able to streamline your design process, making your partnership as constructive as possible.

3: Technologically advanced

An EMS partner that uses the latest technology will give you a competitive edge. Don’t hesitate to ask your potential electronic manufacturing service what kind of technology and equipment they work with. If you’re aiming for high-volume production, it’s especially important to look for a partner who’s invested in surface mount technology (SMT).

4: Regulatory compliance

It’s crucial that electronic manufacturing services are in line with regulatory compliance. Adhering to the industry’s laws, regulations, guidelines, and specifications will affect every stage of the manufacturing process, as well as your final product. A valuable outsource partner will also be willing to abide by your individual guidelines for production.

5: Makes good on quality assurance and quality control

Your electronic manufacturer should exercise both quality assurance and quality control. While QA is process oriented, QC is product oriented. An EMS business that has a solid track record of delivering both quality assurance and quality control will have faster turnaround times and a durable production procedure.

6: A supply chain management system

For manufacturing to run smoothly, your EMS partner needs a supply chain management system in place. Without one, you and your electronic manufacturing service company run the risk of wasting time tracking down various components for your product. Ask your prospective EMS partners what kind of software they use to manage supply chains and to gauge their general knowledge about global manufacturing.

7: Incorporates product testing

A quality EMS partner understands their work isn’t complete when production is over. Testing is needed for every component of the product so you can rule out any defects or deficiencies without wasting a great deal of time and money. At Pivot International, our electronic manufacturing services will exceed your expectations. We bring nearly fifty years of experience in design, development, manufacturing, and supply chain management, as well as the latest in SMT. Our electronic engineering and manufacturing technicians follow IPC standards, ensuring the production of high quality, reliable components. We also provide standard RoHS-compliant assembly processes with each assembly. To learn more about our world-class electronics manufacturing, contact us today.

Product Development Manufacturing, Then and Now

A review of the product development and manufacturing advancements of the last 200 years show just how far the industry has come and how rapidly it continues to evolve. Innovations that defied imagination only decades ago have forever altered what we’ve come to expect from everyday products, and the innovations of the future will be no less mind-boggling. To illustrate, the following is a timeline of some of the most history making innovations—and incremental advances—in product development and manufacturing.

1791: Alexander Hamilton brings manufacturing to the legislative fore

In 1791, Alexander Hamilton presented his “Report on Manufacturing” to Congress. The report implored lawmakers to make American manufacturing a policy-making priority. Hamilton conceived of an American economy strengthened by industrial mass-production. The “Report on Manufacturing” was a harbinger of prevalent product development manufacturing in the USA.

1798: “Just-In-Time Production” and “Lean Manufacturing” are set in motion

Eli Whitney laid the groundwork for JIT production and lean manufacturing by utilizing interchangeable parts — identical parts used for mass production — at his armory. Before interchangeable parts, products were typically built as a single unit. This meant that if the product were damaged, the entire product would have to be replaced. By contrast, if an interchangeable part breaks, it can be easily swapped with a duplicate.

1820: The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution made machine-driven production the new norm. No longer did every product have to be built by hand. This development allowed manufacturers to save a great deal of time and money.

1913: Ford establishes the moving assembly line

The moving assembly line was born out of Henry Ford’s manufacturing of automobiles. Ford’s assembly line managed to decrease the amount of time it took to build a car from over 12 hours to “two hours and thirty minutes.“

1962: The first visible LED

Nick Holonyak was a scientist at General Electrics when he discovered what we now know as the first visible light-emitting diode. Today, LED lights can last as long as 22 years.

1980: Chuck Hull invents the 3D printer

While working at a small company that made furniture coatings with UV lamps, Chuck Hull was determined to figure out a way to accelerate the prototyping process. Hull thought that “if he could place thousands of thin layers of plastic on top of each other and then etch their shape using light, he would be able to form three dimensional objects.“ After years of hard work, Chuck Hull printed his first object: an eye-wash cup. Today, the possibilities with 3D printing are endless.

2019: Pivot International expands production capacity in SMT

A leading design, engineering, and manufacturing firm, Pivot International, expanded its production capacity with a strategic investment in Surface Mount Technology (SMT). SMT is a method for producing electronic circuits in which the components are mounted or placed directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards (PCBs). The technology has broad application and ensures highly accurate execution of high-volume production.

It’s safe to say that time will bring even more innovations in product development manufacturing. Companies that possess the agility to adopt the newest technologies and adapt to accelerating trends will continue to dominate the industry.

Pivot International’s ongoing commitment to adaptation has made it a rapidly growing industry leader with facilities in the US and overseas alike. With a track record of over forty years of expert experience in partnering with manufacturers to optimize their operations, and with businesses to help them successfully launch new products, we’re one of the most trusted names product development manufacturing. Contact us today and see what we can do for you!

Trends in the Electronic Manufacturing Services Industry

In the electronic manufacturing services industry, the only constant is change. Keeping up with the trends maximizes efficiency for your business and impresses your customers. With that in mind, here are four leading trends in the electronic manufacturing services (EMS) industry.

1. Embracing energy-efficiency

Manufacturers around the world are figuring out how they can reduce energy consumption. Not only are companies looking for new tactics to streamline the product development cycle, but also how to create more energy-efficient products. By considering the environmental impact of design, production, packaging, distribution, and so on, manufacturers are coming up with creative solutions to improve these processes. In terms of products, examples include heating and cooling systems programmed with smart technology as well as motion-activated lighting systems. In addition to protecting the environment, reducing energy consumption helps manufacturers cut back on expenses. Both companies and consumers are factoring the environment into their day-to-day decisions.

2. The rise of strategic partnerships

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are outsourcing product design and development to electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers at an increasing rate. As a result, OEMs can devote more time and energy to designing and selling new products, and cutting costs in the process. When original equipment manufacturers acquire more customers, they have to start producing at a larger scale. Outsourcing to electronics manufacturing services providers lends itself to such scalability. EMS providers also have access to a wide range of suppliers, as they typically work on a variety of products. This experience bestows EMS providers with a unique purchasing aptitude, immensely benefitting the OEMs.

3. Humans working alongside cobots

Instead of replacing human employees, robotic machines are supplementing labor in manufacturing facilities. These androids are designed to cooperate with humans, hence the term “cobotics.” Cobots are cost-effective, agile, and easy to program. With cobots at their disposal, humans are able to take on more complex and creative tasks, while the robotic machines can take care of the more mechanical jobs. We are now witnessing cobots increasing productivity and streamlining EMS systems every day.

4. Expedited delivery

Accelerated delivery is now the norm, for both consumers and manufacturers. In the past, same-day delivery once set companies apart. Now, such speed is expected from all organizations. The EMS industry is operating faster than ever, and companies that want to succeed must figure out how to keep pace with these new demands.

Pivot International has been a leader in electronic manufacturing services for over 46 years. We’re here to ensure that all your devices are up to quality standard. Interested in learning what a partnership with Pivot might mean to you and your product? Reach out to us today and consult with one of our design professionals, free of cost. Together, we can figure out what plan of action works best for you.

The Best Manufacturing Companies: Sifting the Good from the Great

Selecting a manufacturer for your product may seem like a daunting task. After investing a great deal of time and money into your product design and product development, the stakes are indeed high. As Elon Musk told Entrepreneur, “Making lots of something consistently that’s going to last a long time is extremely hard. In fact, it is way harder to make the machine that makes the machine than it is to make the machine in the first place.”

How do you find a manufacturer that will deliver on their commitments? We hope the following questions make your decision process less complicated.

1. What is the manufacturer’s experience and background?

It’s important to evaluate the manufacturers’ qualifications and experience. What other businesses have they done production for? Working with known brands can be indicative of the manufacturer’s reliability, sustainability, and global distinction. It’s also smart to reach out to these brands directly and ask them about their experience with this manufacturer.

2. What is the size of the manufacturer?

In our experience, we’ve found it’s a safer bet to partner with a bigger manufacturer than a smaller one. Large manufacturers tend to have many years of experience under their belt and the ability to produce at scale. Manufacturers that are on the smaller side, however, may struggle to meet your production needs, costing you both time and money down the line. You want to ensure your manufacturer can promise you both quality and quantity, over and over again.

3. What kind of timeline is the manufacturer working with?

Before you sign a contract with a manufacturer, it’s important that you are on the same page when it comes to turnaround. Confirm with the manufacturer how long they anticipate production will take, and determine if that seems reasonable on your company’s end. Be mindful of how turnaround corresponds with the manufacturer’s pricing as well.

4. Where does the manufacturer receive their components from?

Sometimes, manufacturers outsource production for a portion of needed components. If this is the case, it’s important you research these external companies as well, and verify that they are equally reputable.

Pivot International is a top contract manufacturer that specializes in assembly manufacturing, electronics manufacturing, original design manufacturing, product prototype manufacturing, and more. With a 40-year track record of helping companies design, develop, manufacture, and launch products, we know what it takes to deliver. We’ve brought products to market both internationally and intranationally. We’re here to answer any questions you may have about choosing the right manufacturer for you. Contact us today and see how we can grow your business.

Important Questions for Choosing a Product Manufacturer

By the time a company is in the market for a manufacturer, they’ve already invested considerable time and money into product design and development. Finding the right manufacturer can be the difference between seeing this prior investment through to a profitable completion or experiencing a host of potentially costly problems. That’s why it’s critical for businesses to conduct due diligence when selecting a product manufacturer.

At Pivot, we’re a top contract manufacturer specializing in assembly manufacturing, electronics manufacturing, original design manufacturing, product prototype manufacturing, and more. We have a proven 40-year track record of partnering with entrepreneurial startups and established enterprises alike to help them design, develop, manufacture, and successfully launch their products in domestic and international markets. We’ve been around long enough to know what it takes for a manufacturer to successfully deliver. Regardless of what manufacturer a business may ultimately choose, it’s important to start the search with the following questions.

What is the manufacturer’s MOQ (minimum order quantity)?

Depending on the product and the manufacturer, minimum orders can range between dozens and tens of thousands of units. Before taking any further steps, it’s important to ensure upfront that minimum orders fit within a business’ budget.

What is the manufacturer’s sample pricing?

A business owner should be able to see and handle samples of a product before committing to a full order. Sample pricing ranges can vary just as much as MOQ’s, so it doesn’t hurt to get multiple quotes. Some manufacturers may even provide certain samples at no cost.

What is the manufacturer’s production pricing?

It can be tempting to ask this question first, but it’s a moot point if a business can’t afford a minimum order or obtain samples. When asking about production pricing, ask about the price for different quantities to determine how the manufacturer scales their discount structure.

What is the manufacturer’s turnaround time?

Some manufacturers may quote a very competitive price, but further investigation will reveal this comes with extended turnaround times. For some businesses, a long turnaround time isn’t a problem and the cost-savings can be well worth it, but for others, it can spell disaster.

What are the manufacturer’s payment terms?

Unless a business is well-established (or a repeat customer) it’s not uncommon that a manufacturer may require pre-production payment in full. Since inventory constitutes a significant cost for fledgling e-commerce companies, if a manufacturer offers payment terms from the start (or on future orders), this may be a boon to a company’s cash flow.

What other companies has this manufacturer worked with?

A manufacturer is only as good as the company they keep. When choosing a manufacturer, consider companies similar to your business and reach out to them for information about manufacturers they’ve had positive experiences with. With a little research, businesses can discover which manufacturers have produced for well-known brands, ensuring that these manufacturers have already been visited, audited, and thoroughly vetted by major industry players.

What quality assurance practices does the manufacturer have in place?

No matter how competitive their pricing, stellar their communication, or quick their turnaround time, a manufacturer who doesn’t deliver on quality doesn’t have a leg to stand on. While it’s one thing for a manufacturer to provide a few quality samples, it’s another thing for them to deliver the same quality in what may be exponentially larger batches. Businesses should inquire about whether manufacturers implement quality assurance measures throughout the production cycle since inspections and testing conducted only at the cycle’s end cannot guarantee that interior components are without design or assembly flaws.

What is the manufacturer’s production capacity?

For startups, relatively small production capacity may seem like the safest bet, but it’s also important to think ahead: if a business closes a larger-than-expected sale it won’t want to be in the position of scrambling to locate a manufacturer with greater production capacity rather than smoothly scaling for success.

At Pivot, we’re more than happy to answer any questions you may have to help you choose the manufacturer that’s right for your business. Contact us today and see what we can do for you.

The Business Case for Sustainable Manufacturing

In the 1980s, with the birth of the lean manufacturing movement, the rallying cry was, “Reduce, reduce, reduce.”

Today, with the sustainability movement in full swing and regulatory compliance concerns and customer demands for responsible environmental stewardship becoming increasingly pressing, the rallying cry for sustainable manufacturing is now “Reduce, recover, recycle, redesign, and remanufacture.”

With the growth of both social and governmental mandates for conservation of natural resources and protection of the environment, the business case for going beyond “lean” practices and evolving into “green” approaches has become imperative.

Whereas earlier manufacturing models took a linear view of the product lifecycle as “cradle to grave,” contemporary approaches to sustainable manufacturing take a cyclical view: “cradle to cradle.”

What this means in practice is an approach to product design and production that extends beyond even the disposal stage, where instead of products or their components sitting in landfills and literally going to waste, these products or components are deliberately recovered to be used as the raw material for a new generation of products.

The obvious aims of sustainable manufacturing boil down to the relationship between sound ecological approaches and profitable economic practices, and central to this relationship and its scaled implementation is investment in automation technology.

Automation technology makes possible the measuring, mapping, monitoring, and regulating of highly complex, recursive process parameters, extracting and analyzing the necessary data for manufacturers to reduce energy consumption, realize peak resource efficiency, and minimize adverse ecological impact to water, soil, and air.

But what about the business case for sustainable manufacturing? Can manufacturers equal or exceed their pre-sustainable-practice profit margins by adopting greener operations? The answer depends on a number of factors, but many businesses are already making a good case for the economic viability and advantage of sustainable manufacturing.

Jerry Jasinowski, former president of the National Association of Manufacturers and later The Manufacturing Institute, commented on a study conducted by the University of Indiana that examined how leading companies in the sustainability movement have achieved their successes:

“One of the companies reported that, while growing 40 percent over the past 15 years, it had saved about $7 billion through sustainable manufacturing practices,” Jasinowski said. “Another reduced its manufacturing footprint in North America from 15 million square feet to 5 million square feet. Still another eliminated 14 hazardous waste streams, reducing its annual waste disposal tab from $750,000 to $40,000 in one year.”

The Environmental Protection Agency’s website uses real-world case studies to make its business case for sustainable manufacturing, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) provides a Sustainable Manufacturing Toolkit which outlines a set of internationally applicable, common, and comparable metrics for gauging the environmental performance of manufacturing facilities.

“We think it is important to have not only the right tools, but also to be informed about what works,” explains Andrew Wyckoff, director of OECD’s Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry. “That’s why we have also included a range of best-practice case studies that illustrate the many benefits of sustainable manufacturing. Saving money, improving products, making operations more efficient and increasing sales are all possible for those taking up this new challenge.”

If you’re looking to make your manufacturing operations leaner or greener, or are trying to bring a green product to market, we can help. At Pivot, we have a track record of over forty years of expert experience in partnering with manufacturers to optimize their operations and with businesses to help them successfully launch new products. Contact us today and see what we can do for you.

Flexible Manufacturing and the Future of Apparel

When news broke in late 2017 that Amazon had been awarded a patent for a system that would enable it to manufacture custom-fitted clothing, industry insiders touted the new development as the future of both on-demand apparel and the flexible manufacturing processes that make its production possible.

According to Amazon’s press release, “Once various textile products are printed, cut, and assembled according to the orders, they can be processed through a quality check, photographed for placement in an electronic commerce system, shipped to customers, and/or stored in a materials-handling facility for order fulfillment. By aggregating orders from various geographic locations and coordinating apparel assembly processes on a large scale, the embodiments provide new ways to increase efficiency in apparel manufacturing.”

However, these efficiencies are not as easily achieved by smaller players as they are by Amazon.

The garment industry has long been plagued by inefficient supply chain processes, though this is changing. Mounting consumer expectation for on-demand availability as exemplified by Amazon is forcing more manufacturers to adopt more efficient, flexible approaches to satisfy customers and remain competitive.

It is not uncommon for this adjustment to entail a complete restructuring of the supply chain and production process, since the mass-scale manufacture of garments is qualitatively different from small-scale item production, requiring scalable processes that can flexibly fulfill both high- and low-volume orders—no easy combination to achieve.

Mass customization also poses supply chain challenges in terms of effective use of existing manufacturing facilities. Garment factories operate on peak production cycles that precede the season for which garments are brought to market (with fall-winter collections produced in spring, and spring-summer collections produced in autumn). Altering an existing facility to achieve on-demand production capability risks interruption of these cycles and requires significant investments in both technology and labor, the forging of brand partnerships, and well-coordinated strategic planning and experienced execution to achieve a successful transition without compromising profits in the process.

Another challenge of on-demand customized clothing relates to the availability of cheap labor, which has driven garment manufacturers overseas in search of affordable solutions. But this challenge too is being overcome and once again localized through automation, as seen with Adidas’ use of “sewbots” that are capable of making 800,000 T-shirts a day in its humanless factory in Arkansas.

The advantages of on-demand manufacturing represent a win-win proposition for both consumers and manufacturers, with the former getting a customized product and the latter virtually eliminating waste, excess inventory, and accounts-receivable risk.

For companies that successfully adopt the flexible manufacturing operations necessary to penetrate or remain competitive in this prime market space, the coming future of on-demand, customized apparel looks exceptionally bright.

If you’re aiming for greater flexibility in your manufacturing operations or are looking to bring a product to market, we at Pivot can help, with more than forty years of expert experience in helping manufacturers optimize their operations and in helping businesses to successfully launch new products. Contact us today and see what we can do for you.

Additive Manufacturing: Overcoming Current Limitations

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is increasingly being heralded by analysts and EMS and ODM companies alike as a game-changing technology. Already AM has revolutionized design- and engineering-intensive businesses by allowing them to achieve expedited market delivery, increased customization, and improved design, functionality, and performance.

But despite the epochal changes AM has already affected in the manufacturing industry, there remain challenges to its widespread adoption. These challenges include:

Fragmented design knowledge

Worldwide, there are still skills gaps for AM product design. Because AM affords unprecedented levels of freedom in design, capitalizing on AM’s potential necessitates a radical rethinking of core design processes. Much like the way the Information Age challenged the design and engineering assumptions formed by the Industrial Age, AM requires cognitive shifts that have lagged significantly behind the appearance of the technology. Analysts speculate that most companies have barely scratched the surface of what is possible with AM, and that there exists a worldwide learning curve for AM-enabled design that has yet to be mastered.

Cost-prohibitive production costs

AM currently allows for highly cost-effective design and manufacture of a relatively small subset of products and components, but widespread adoption is not yet economically feasible. Though AM virtually eliminates the expensive up-front tooling costs of traditional processes, diminishing returns are realized as production volume increases. However, the volume threshold with plastics (where AM is at its most cost-effective) is increasing, with reports of companies retaining the cost advantage even at 5,000 units for small, simple objects. Conversely, due to multiple interconnected variables (high cost of metals, slow build times, extended machining hours, high energy consumption, and post-production expenses), metal-based AM remains significantly less cost-effective than traditional molding or machining methods.

Limited production scale

Most AM machinery is designed for prototyping rather than series production, making scaling for mass production an impossibility for most products and components. The future of AM lies in its capacity to continue to reduce production costs while expanding its capacity for industrial production.

The good news is that these limitations are being surmounted by innovative AM design services, specialized consulting firms, and government-funded applied R&D. Some analysts predict that the next generation of AM will slash current production costs as patents expire, post-processing needs are decreased, and manufacturers leverage increasing economies of scale.

Further, larger AM manufacturers believe that AM can achieve what is currently available only through traditional production processes not only with plastics but also with metals. And with new and promising polymers and alloys on the way AM performance can exceed that of contemporary plastic- or metal-based materials.

At Pivot, we’re a driving force behind the innovative design services that are paving the way for the next generation of AM and the future of product development. If you’re looking to bring a product to market or simply to enhance your manufacturing operations, we can help. At Pivot, we have a track record of over forty years of expert experience in partnering with businesses to help them successfully launch new products, and with manufacturers to achieve state-of-the-art operations. Contact us today and see what we can do for you.