How does PCB Contract Manufacturer beneficial for box build manufacturing?

By Mer-Mar Electronics | Date posted: | Last updated: November 26, 2022
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The other day I stumbled upon Isaac Asimov’s words in his book I, Robot and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It goes like this – “It is the obvious which is so difficult to see most of the time. People say, ‘It’s as plain as the nose on your face.’ But how much of the nose on your face can you see, unless someone holds a mirror up to you?”

And how true is that! When we are trying to coordinate multiple things at once, sometimes we miss the obvious that is right in front of our eyes, the better solution, the suitable one for you. Does that happen to you as well or is it just with me? And trust me, I noticed many of my peers who grapple with several complexities while designing and building an electronic device.

The circuit boards are the miraculous tiny things that make every electronic device on the earth function as expected. These boards have to be manufactured, cable & wire harnesses have to be built and different sub-assemblies have to be connected together to become one complete system. And this often gets overwhelming for the designers who are trying to juggle a thousand pieces to form the perfect picture without looking at the simplest solution that is out there.

Are you wondering what exactly am I talking about for so long? Well, it’s an easy guess for many of you. *Ta-da* Let me introduce “box builds”. Many local PCB contract manufacturers have been building these systems to relieve you with intricate coordination that is quite often tiring and time-consuming.

How does box build manufacturing by your PCB contract manufacturer beneficial to you? Well, let’s dive in to find out how.

1. The lesser the better

It’s needless to say, manufacturing an electronic system is associated with having contracts with multiple vendors. You need printed circuit boards, wire harnesses, cable assemblies, control panels, and power supplies. All these sub-assemblies must be completed first and then they go into the final assembly. And you may be jumping across the vendors for getting the job done, right?

You see, the problem is relying on multiple vendors which require strong coordination, effective communication, and their dedication to delivering high-quality outputs. Even if one vendor spoils something in the process, your entire board isn’t the same as you anticipated.

“A chain is as strong as its weakest link.”

The onus falls on the design group to manage and coordinate among these vendors. The design groups need to make sure that the final circuit board fits in all the interconnecting wires and cables and they work together with the other system components.

Even the documentation team needs to be diligent in the creation of the documents as a small error in the documentation can take the entire project down. This is a huge loss of time and money and leads to unnecessary frustration.

Not all design groups are equipped with managerial coordination between these vendors. So you need to reduce the vendor count to reduce the errors.

It’s high time to think of a PCB contract manufacturer for your box build assembly requirements as they would be equipped to handle your project and documentation support as well. They might have the experience of working with various supply networks, engineering expertise, and manufacturing skills for efficient handling of the design mechanics and build. You would clearly have an edge over having several vendors as all the aspects of the box build will be centrally located and controlled.

2. Design, Build, and Function

The final product functioning is all about how well the assembled parts fit and work together. The different system components have to be designed and assembled to work together. This has to be planned out with the end result in mind. This can get difficult if these sub-assemblies are handled by different vendors.

When you are fitting the pieces together, make sure you match up the mounting holes so that the PCBs can fit within them. Don’t commit any dimensional mistakes as they can result in a disaster. If you choose the multivendor way, there could be some lack of coordination that may result in errors in the subassemblies.

Another thing that can add to the frustration if you choose multiple vendors is the connectivity issues. You may get everything right the plugging in the connector, wire harnessing, etc. but if one of the plugs is pinned in the wrong connector, it’s not going to work.

So, we recommend you the best path – Go for a PCB contract manufacturer that is offering the entire box build services under one roof. They will design and build each sub-assembly and do not perform the dimensional and connectivity errors. They even test the entire system as it built by them and ensure quality assurance. A local PCB contract manufacturer is the ideal way for your box build manufacturing.

3. Avoid Unnecessary Overheads

You can save yourself from unnecessary headaches and difficulties of building your own printed circuit board assemblies. It is a complicated task and working with a PCB contract manufacturer would help you avoid the expense of operating and procurement of the equipment required. You can just sit back and relax without thinking of developing and continually updating the processes.

A PCB contract manufacturer would have skilled technicians and brilliant engineers in-house to oversee and operate the box build manufacturing operations. They not only focus on the manufacturability of the designs but also offer a multitude of other services as well. You just provide them the bill of materials for each design and the rest would be taken care of by them. They have a vast network of supply-chain vendors and distributors who can help them in the ongoing board builds.

4. Unmatched Expertise in PCB Manufacturing

The PCB contract manufacturers would have deployed thousands of successful circuit boards for various market segments. They would have the industry certifications, might have conducted periodic training for their in-house staff who might have attained the fluency in the latest industry standards for the board design and assembly.

They might have been in the business for a long time providing the highest quality circuit boards. You can test their previous work experience and client testimonials to know their capabilities better. They are experts in what they do with efficient teams and a proven track record. They know the A-Z of the box build services and know-how to traverse through the challenges in the path of building a high-quality box build.

Conclusion

Teaming up with a PCB manufacturer who knows A-Z of Box build manufacturing is the ideal way. Mer-Mar Electronics has been in the business for over 40 years and has a skilled & experienced engineering team who works on different design systems. Our manufacturing experts build your PCBs, cable assemblies, wire harnesses, and box builds. We also get them together and fit them in the most efficient manner for a high-quality end-product.

Get a Quick Quote for box build assembly based on your custom requirements!

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What are the challenges faced by medical PCB manufacturer during Healthcare Equipment Development?

By Mer-Mar Electronics | Date posted: | Last updated: December 29, 2021
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With the ever-increasing population and rapid outbreak of the new diseases that have been shaking the world, there has been a steady increase in the need for state-of-art medical devices and equipment. In the past few decades, there have been tremendous technological developments that have helped to build incredible medical devices. But even with the ease due to changes in the technological landscape, it isn’t devoid of challenges.

Let us understand some of the challenges faced by medical PCB manufacturers to get life-saving medical equipment to the market.

  1. Rapid Deployment – In the current times when the pandemic has been engulfing the whole world, we are in a sense of urgency to build medical equipment and fasten the process of equipment development and deployment. Time has become the differentiating factor. But that doesn’t mean one should complete everything in haste. Rapid development isn’t the only end-goal. It should also be followed by rigorous testing, thorough documentation, and getting regulatory requirements on time.
  2. Equipment Failure – When compared to regular consumer electronics, manufacturing electronics for medical equipment has always had stringent requirements. And there is no place for failure or malfunctioning when the equipment is in use like during a critical procedure as open-heart surgery. This would have serious ramifications and would destroy much more than the reputation of your company. You must also be able to trace back the origin of components used in medical equipment in case you encounter any problems when the equipment is in use.
  3. Lead-free Manufacturing – Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directs that medical equipment should adhere to RoHS standards and the company’s manufacturing medical equipment should have the capability to assemble lead-free applications. Usually, hazardous materials like lead and other substances are toxic and can no longer be used in the manufacturing of medical PCBs. So, PCB manufacturers have to have the expertise in lead-free manufacturing and differentiate that from other leaded operations.
  4. High-quality Production – The level of precision you maintain in the PCB assembly services should also be emulated in the production of medical equipment. In fact, production is even more critical as these components should make a robust device that is capable of working flawlessly in different conditions and environments. To meet the high-quality standards, one needs more than good soldering skills. You need to maintain precision in every aspect of manufacturing such as component procurement, assembly, engineering, inspection, test, and rework.
  5. Certification – The alphabet soup of the standard organizations that provide certifications to medical PCBs may seem daunting but still essential for ensuring high performance and reliability of PCBs. It is important that Medical PCBs carry the required certifications some being very general like ISO 9001 for high quality and reliability in manufacturing, IPC-A-610 for PCB assembly acceptability. Another industry standard ISO 13485 is about traceability which helps to quickly find out which parts have caused trouble when a problem is reported. There is also some other ISO certification for the quality specification. Complying with these standards at the design level helps one to pick the right components.
  6. Experience and Quality – Building high-quality Medical PCBs that can withstand the rigors of the environment needs high-quality skills and expertise in all areas of manufacturing. Right from the component procurement, engineering, and manufacturing, you need to find proficient people who have adequate experience in box builds. They need to develop the crucial medical equipment with high-quality wiring harnesses, cable assemblies, and full system enclosures with the circuit board assembly.
  7. Documentation – Another aspect of manufacturing medical equipment is the rigorous documentation work that needs to be done. Error-free documentation is a prerequisite for future designs and enhancements when required. With the manufacturing of PCBs, it is important to have documentation it works as a sample for reference. It is through this documentation work; one can have full traceability of the components and materials.
  8. Synergy among all stakeholders – The medical electronics manufacturing landscape is evolving at a rapid pace and it is not easy to keep up with the trends and latest technologies. One needs to know about what’s cooking in the medical electronics symposiums that are focused on advancements in electronics manufacturing. Synergy among the service providers, technologists, manufacturers, dealers, and suppliers is required to move forward in building safe and robust medical equipment.
  9. Increasing Power Density – There is a scarcity of power and companies have been struggling to find new means to augment power density. For instance, lead-free pacemakers that are in the market today have batteries that take up 75% of the device’s total volume. With so much occupied by the battery alone, there is a dearth of space for other components. This seriously is a hindrance and may negatively impact the prognosis of the patient. The biggest challenge right now is to figure out how to reduce the medical equipment size while improving the longevity of the medical device.
  10. Keeping up With Latest Trends – The electronic components in the medical field are getting increasingly smarter, smaller, and higher connectivity. This is also associated with newfound medical challenges, for instance, manufacturing and deployment of IoT medical devices need a more focused approach. The security and management of the medical devices coming to and from the cloud, the transmission units, power resources for proper data encryption in implantables, are all important and necessary to understand the implications of them. Only the best practices must be implemented to maximize the safety of the patients.

How do PCB Manufacturers help solve the problems?

An experienced PCB manufacturing company has the capabilities to respond to any challenges and needs of the medical equipment.

  1. Network – Even in these tougher times of pandemic where all the supply chains of PCB components are disrupted, these companies would have an extensive network of suppliers and distributors to handle the disruptions and quickly respond to the emergency requests.
  2. Better Response Time – These PCB manufacturing companies have dedicated personnel who work round the clock to make sure you get the equipment right on time while making every effort to preserve the safety of it.
  3. Engineering Services – Besides building PCB assemblies, they will also be able to help you with the engineering aspects like reviewing before production, or any other design services.
  4. End-to-end Capabilities – PCB manufacturing companies will have end-to-end expertise in box builds, cable & wire harness assemblies. They would also respond quickly to any requests regarding building specialized fixtures for custom assemblies.

Final Thoughts

With so many PCB Fabrication and PCB Assembly companies around, the challenge before you are to find such a company that can help you traverse through these challenges successfully. At Mermar Electronics, we specialize in offering world-class PCB manufacturing and assembly services for the medical industry. We help you to handle the challenges by providing end-to-end solutions and understanding various intricacies involved in the process. Besides, we have a team of IPC trained personnel who strictly adheres to IPC class 3 standards and also carry numerous industry certification to get the desired expertise to build medical equipment from inception to final manufacturing.

Want to Get Your PCB Assembled from Mermar Electronics? Send us inquiry to Get a Quick Quote based on your custom requirements.

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How to Combat Your PCB Manufacturing Industry from Cyber Attacks?

By Mer-Mar Electronics | Date posted: | Last updated: December 24, 2021
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The PCB Manufacturing industry is becoming increasingly digitalized, which in turn comes with many advantages. Primary among them include:

  • Improved transparency in operations
  • Greater collaboration
  • Improved control of the supply chain
  • Cost benefits
  • Improved innovation and more

However, the advantages of digitalization also come with the inherent fears of cyber attacks. In fact, the need for increased cyber security has never been so critical as now. From risk to sensitive data, to disrupting operating systems, impacting the supply chain, unplanned production downtime and more, cyber threats can impact a host of areas causing tremendous harm to the business and its reputation, both in terms of existing clients and prospective consumers.

Below is an indicative list of malware and the threats that they pose:

Worms

Virus

Spyware

Trojan Horses

Worms – These are standalone malware computer programs that can replicate themselves and spread to other computers.

Virus – It is a piece of code that can copy itself and corrupt a computer system as well as destroy data

Spyware – A software that is installed covertly and sensitive information procured.

Trojan Horses – While it looks like a legitimate software, it spreads widely and causes damage.

The issue with malware also is the fact that some of them may lie dormant for a while before being activated. This gives the virus time to spread, before it is detected. Besides, as viruses become more and more competent at bypassing security systems, the efforts required to control them significantly go up.

Strategies for Cyber security

Given that the threats are potent, what then are some of the strategies that the Electronics Manufacturing Industry can adopt to ensure safety?

First up, the easiest way for a cyber attacker to gain access is through hacking of the company’s passwords. What then are some of the ways for the PCB Manufacturing Industry to brace itself against it? Here is an overview:

  • Employees need to be advised to keep their passwords strong. Weak passwords that typically include simple numbers, names of relatives, birthdates and more, can be cracked easily. Often times, information gained from social media accounts is enough to make a good guess about the passwords.
  • It is advisable to have a long password that is a random combination of numbers and symbols. 12 characters is ideal. That way the probability of the password being strong, increases manifold.
  • There needs to be clear directive to employees on the passwords not being shared or written down somewhere for easy reference.
  • Employees need to also be encouraged to change their passwords regularly. In the event that they feel that the password has been compromised, besides changing the password, the IT department should immediately be informed.

Other than the above, important precautions include:

Antivirus software

Back up critical data

Secure your networks

Employee access

  • Antivirus software – Investing in a reliable antivirus software is of course your first line of defense. Having installed the software once, do also remember to update it with regular patches that may be provided by the vendor.
  • Back up critical data – Every PCB Manufacturer, USA should ensure that there is regular data back up. Consider both onsite and offsite backups to keep yourself covered.
  • Secure your networks – It is also important to secure your networks through necessary firewalls. It may also be a good idea to encrypt data to add a layer of security.
  • Employee access – It is also important to review employee roles so that they have access to data that is necessary for their role. Doing this ensures that if there is an attack on an employee’s system, the spread can be restricted.

From the overall PCB Manufacturing industry standpoint, it is also crucial to invest in cyber security measures. These could include:

  • Company wide cyber security training
  • Employing cyber security consultants who can study the entire system and advice on the preventive measures to be taken.
  • Investing in cyber insurance as that will cover risks in the event that despite the precautions you face a cyber attack.

Above everything else there needs to be a wide spread sensitization program for all employees, whereby they understand the criticality of operations. They can then be apprised of the critical role they can play to ensure to ensure that there is no data breach.

At Mermar, we are a one-stop shop for a range of PCB solutions. Whether you are looking for PCB prototyping, assembly or fabrication, you can be sure of getting the highest quality standards that are RoHS compliant. Consistent product quality, quick turnaround times and excellent customer service are some of our hallmarks. The ability to understand the bespoke needs of our customers is what ensures that whether you need a simple board or a complex multilayer board, you will not be let down.

Want to Get Your PCB Assembled from Mer-Mar Electronics? Send us inquiry to Get a Quick Quote based on your custom requirements.

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Pros and Cons of PCB Manufacturing in the USA During COVID-19 Pandemic!

By Mer-Mar Electronics | Date posted: | Last updated: December 29, 2021
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COVID-19 has impacted our lives in more ways than one. What started out as a health crisis has also significantly impacted the way we do business. From remote working to decreased reliance on offshore manufacturing, the impact of the pandemic is far-reaching.

When it comes to the PCB Manufacturing industry, the situation caused by the pandemic is a stark reminder of the fact that reliance on offshore manufacturing can prove to be detrimental with supplies getting unexpectedly disrupted. If on the other hand, one was to go with a PCB Manufacturer USA, the possibility of supplies being held up in a crisis situation is that much lower. Of course at the peak of the pandemic, production may have been in abeyance everywhere, however if you are relying on an off shore production, you also tend to suffer on account of shipping and other logistics leading to substantial delays, even when production resumes.

There are also a whole lot of other benefits that accrue from on-shore production beyond the worldwide health crisis. Notable among them are:

Product Design and Development

With a local PCB Manufacturing service, the big advantage that accrues is in terms of product design and development. The onsite engineering teams of the local manufacturer will ensure that necessary inputs are provided at the design stage itself and that the design is optimized for production. Also they will be able to review the component selection to make sure that the parts that are needed are available.

Prototype Development

When it comes to prototype development, speed of operation is crucial. A local manufacturer being in the same time zone will turn out to be far more efficient to ensure your prototype is in order and any new product introductions are made swiftly. The ability to respond quickly to your needs means that precious time isn’t wasted in back and forth communication and that time-to-market is expedited.

  • What is also advantageous when it comes to PCB Manufacturing USA, is that a local manufacturer has a vast network of component PCB manufacturers who can provide quality products within a short time-frame.

By contrast, if you were to rely on an off-shore manufacturer, in times of the pandemic or otherwise, you tend to face the following roadblocks:

  • Communication in different time zones is a definite challenge. More so, when clear communication can make or break your product.
  • For prototypes and new product design especially, design and development remotely can lead to many hiccups.
  • Sourcing of components and materials isn’t something that is in your control as opposed to local manufacturing where there is a lot more control over the boards.
  • There is also the fear of prices varying on account of local issues and impacting your budgets
  • Shipping cost and timelines can further add to the teething issues.
  • In addition, with the Coronavirus pandemic, there is the added fear in ordering products from overseas due to contamination and plant closures.

While electronics manufacturers need to work with large mass facilities overseas, it is equally important to engage with a quality PCB Manufacturing service, California that can offer quick turnaround time. This not only holds for unforeseen circumstances that interfere with offshore manufacturing, but also during regular times. With an existing relationship with a local PCB contract manufacturer, you can rest assured of quality prototype and NPI services. You can have the local manufacturer work on your Bill of Materials, review your design to see in case there are any Design for Manufacturing violations and make recommendations. Additionally, in case, there are problems overseas that affect the mass production of your boards, your local PCB Manufacturer can step in at a short notice.

At Mermar, we are a one-stop shop for a range of PCB solutions. Whether you are looking for PCB prototyping, assembly or fabrication, you can be sure of getting the highest quality standards that are RoHS compliant. Consistent product quality, quick turnaround times and excellent customer service are some of our hallmarks. The ability to understand the bespoke needs of our customers is what ensures that whether you need a simple board or a complex multilayer board, you will not be let down.

Want to Get Your PCB Assembled from Mer-Mar Electronics? Send us inquiry to Get a Quick Quote based on your custom requirements

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