Which is the spookiest to you?
- Ghosts?
- Ghouls?
- Goblins?
- The daily challenges that come with electronic assembly?
If you chose the latter, we understand your pain.
There’s no need to throw an electronic assembly-themed Halloween party just yet. Luckily, we’ve got 10 actionable tips to combat the top daily horrors in electronic assembly. If you implement these tricks, electronic assembly will go from your daily headache to a treat.
Let’s begin with one of the most important parts of the assembly process: communication.
Horror #1: Fractured Communication
One of the most common challenges of working with electronic assembly partners is communication. Working with a different partner for each type of electronic assembly can place a great burden on your Purchasing team. Purchasing is then responsible for managing the relationships with each vendor, managing each component’s progress, and more.
Tip #2: Implement a Vendor Consolidation Strategy
To ease burden on Purchasing teams, it may be time for a vendor consolidation strategy. To plan for vendor consolidation, follow these steps:
- Assess your current vendors. Where do they excel? Where do they fall short? Are there any additional services vendors offer other than what you use them for?
- Cross the places your current vendors fall short with services other current vendors offer.
- Create a transition plan for current vendors to take on new services.
For a more detailed plan on how to consolidate vendors, check out our 8-Step Checklist here: https://www.pgftech.com/8-steps-to-consolidate-vendors-in-electronic-assembly/
Horror #2: Component Obsolescence
One of the most dreaded messages a Purchasing Manager can receive is that a component within an electronic assembly is being discontinued. Component obsolescence can inflate component costs, lengthen lead times, and even force an assembly to be redesigned entirely.
Tip #2: Create a Component Obsolescence Plan with Your Partner
While combatting component obsolescence challenges may not be an exact science, it can be accounted for through strategic planning. The best way to combat component obsolescence challenges is to get ahead of them. Some ways to get ahead include:
- Assess the BOMs for your assemblies and identify any obsolete components.
- Search for alternatives for obsolete components.
- Reach out to your component suppliers with your BOMs and ask for updates on the lifecycle of mature components.
- Identify on your BOMs if it is okay for your electronic assembly partners to provide component substitutions if obsolescence becomes an issue.
Some electronic assembly partners, like PGF Tech, will provide component obsolescence management within their design for manufacturability (DFM) services. This can help take the responsibility off of your internal purchasing team and ensure your assemblies will be completed on time. To learn more about DFM services, check out our latest eBook: https://www.pgftech.com/resource/ems-essentials-56-faqs-about-electrical-manufacturing-solutions-providers/.
Horror #3: Lengthy Lead Times
It seems like the chase to receive electronic assemblies by the ideal date is never-ending.
Often, lead times lengthen when a company wants to buy assemblies on an as-needed basis. Companies may need to buy assemblies on an as-needed basis because:
- They have too many variations of their assemblies
- They are unsure of the specific lengths needed for cables & wire harnesses
- They are unable to hold inventory
- Demand for each assembly is difficult for them to forecast
- The design for the assembly may be changed soon
- Buying can be funding-dependent (especially in the military & aerospace industries)
Buying on an as-needed basis often lengthens lead times, making it difficult to achieve delivery date goals.
Tip #3: Ask Your Partner About Inventory Management Programs
Working with your partner on inventory management can drastically shorten lead times. A couple of strategies your partner may be able to implement to improve lead times include:
- Look at historical data to identify reasonable stock
- Identify standardized components across variations and stock them
- Research alternative components for those with long lead times
This can help your partner stock an appropriate number of components and assemblies for you, pulling you out from the endless struggle of trying to meet deadlines.
Horror #4: Quality of Electronic Assemblies
Working with a new electronic assembly partner can be a daunting task because there is no way to truly know how highly they value quality until you have worked with them before. And, if you choose to work with multiple vendors for the same type of assembly, the quality can vary drastically.
Tip #4: Ask About Testing Machinery & Procedures
Before working with an electronic assembly partner, a good indicator of the final products’ quality is the type of testing used. For cable and wire harness assemblies, look for testing practices such as:
- Hi-Pot Testing
- Pull Testing
- Cirris Testing
For PCB assemblies, look for the following types of testing:
- Solder-Paste Inspection
- Automated Optical Inspection
- In-Circuit Testing
Proper testing machinery and practices are crucial to quality. It is important that your electronic assembly partner includes quality checkpoints throughout the assembly process rather than only at the end of the build.
Horror #5: Regulation Compliance
Ensuring electronics are compliant with industry standards can put a large responsibility on internal teams. Especially for highly regulated industries, like medical devices and defense, keeping track of general electronics standards and industry-specific guidelines can be a challenge. Some certifications can take years to receive and train staff on.
Tip #5: Look for Certifications + Year
Instead of attempting to get certified in each standard internally, look for a partner that already has the certifications you need. Certifications to look for in cable assembly, wire harness assembly, PCB assembly, and panel & enclosure assembly include:
- IPC-A-610 (look that there are certified trainers in this standard on staff)
- IPC/WHMA-A-620 (look that there are certified trainers in this standard on staff)
- ISO 9001
- UL508A
Industry-specific certifications to look for include:
- ISO 13485
- ITAR
- AS9100
Be sure to also look for the year following the certification (ex. ISO 9001:2016) to ensure that your electronic assembly partner has been certified in the latest version of the standard.
Horror #6: Manufacturability of Products
Any partner can assemble one cable, wire harness, PCB, or box build. Where the real challenge comes in is when you need to scale production. Smaller assembly shops may need to purchase certain equipment, hire more staff, and further train staff in order to complete larger orders with you. This can increase costs and lead times.
Tip #6: Look for Automation Equipment
When choosing a partner, it is important to visit their facility. Look for the type of automation equipment they have in-house. Automation equipment helps ensure the partner can produce a larger volume of electronic assemblies at the same quality required each time.
While visiting your electronic assembly partner’s facility, ask the following questions:
- How do they train their staff on how to use automation equipment?
- What capacity are they operating at today?
These questions will also help you ensure that all staff can properly use automation equipment and that the partner is ready to scale when you are.
Horror #7: Cost + Quality Balance
High-quality electronics will often cost more than others. Finding the balance between maintaining your budget and getting electronics that are built to last can feel impossible.
Tip #7: Consider the Total Cost
The best way to think about cost of an electronic assembly is to consider the total cost. Think about what you are getting from your electronic assembly partner for the cost. Are you getting:
- Higher quality electronics that will last?
- Design for manufacturability help?
- Component obsolescence management?
- Long-term cost reduction strategies?
- Inventory management?
Often, higher quality electronic assemblies come with much more than a simple assembly service. Considering all services included, it may help you cut costs on electronic assemblies to find a higher quality partner.
Horror #8: Low Quantities Needed
In highly complex manufacturing industries, like medical devices or aerospace, it is common to need low quantities of several different assemblies. This can make purchasing assemblies expensive and lengthen lead times.
Tip #8: Inventory Management Strategies
Working with a partner that helps you manage your inventory can help. By looking at historical data, assembly partners can help understand how many of each assembly to create and help you hold them. That way, they are available when you need them, shortening lead times and cutting costs.
Horror #9: Double Markups
Using a different partner for cable & wire harness assemblies, PCBAs, and box builds can create several challenges for manufacturers. One common problem manufacturers run into is getting charged multiple markups on one assembly. For example, if you have one partner assemble PCBs and another assemble your box build that the PCBs will go into, then you are now getting charged a markup cost by both vendors.
Tip #9: Turnkey Partner
Opting for a turkey solution can help alleviate some of these costs. Working with one partner that provides services for multiple electronic assemblies helps you cut costs by:
- Avoiding markups between suppliers
- Avoiding shipping costs
To learn more about the benefits of a turnkey electronic assembly partner, take a look at our recent blog: https://www.pgftech.com/10-benefits-of-a-turnkey-approach-to-cable-assembly-wire-harness-assembly-pcb-assembly-and-box-builds/
Horror #10: Assembly Executors
Imagine this: you provide your electronic assembly partner with a BOM for a wire harness assembly. One of the components in your BOM is nearing the end of its lifecycle and is nearly obsolete. Knowing this, your assembly vendor builds your wire harnesses anyway without notifying you. The next time you go to place an order for another batch of the same assemblies, your cost and lead time have both skyrocketed. This is the difference between working with an assembly executor and a true assembly partner.
Tip #10: Work With a True Partner
Working with a true partner rather than simply an assembler can make all the difference. A true partner should provide services like:
- Design for manufacturability
- Component obsolescence management
- Inventory management
- Long-term cost reduction strategies
A true assembly partner should always have your goals in mind and provide the services you need to achieve them.
Electronic assembly does not have to be a nightmare. Instead, work with a partner that can provide quality assemblies and services that help you reach your end goals. To learn more about how PGF Tech provides this for our customers, contact us: https://www.pgftech.com/contact-us/