The Line from OCM Manufacturing

Welcome to the Fall 2010 issue of The Line - the electronics manufacturing resource for OEMs producing low- and mid-volume products.

Feature Story

A Design Engineer’s Perspective on Manufacturability

Andrew Goodwin, President, NorthBridge Technology

As a design engineer for more than 25 years, I’ve learned through experience that the best way to protect a new product from risk of failure is through collaboration between the design team and the manufacturing team. Designs can succeed yet the product can still be a failure if it cannot be manufactured. When manufacturability is not considered during the design phase, failures result from high manufacturing costs, low yields or long lead times on critical components.

By nature and by profession, we designers focus on creating elegant designs. Often, our designs are completed then “thrown over the wall” to manufacturing as we move on to the next engineering project. We typically consider challenges that arise during manufacturing to be “manufacturing problems” rather than risks in which we all share. But particularly in today’s economic climate, it’s in every engineer’s best interests to see his or her designs come to fruition and be sold successfully on the market. It’s good for the companies we work for and it’s good for our pay cheques.

We designers can help ensure that this does happen, simply by collaborating with the product’s manufacturing team early in the design process. Adding this step to our process doesn’t have to be cumbersome or terribly time consuming. In fact, we can focus our manufacturing collaboration on three key points:

1. Is this board manufacturable? Has the proper Design for Manufacturability (DFM) review been performed?
2. Do the board(s) and enclosure(s) work together (DFM on a system level)?
3. What can be done to improve the manufacturing economics of the design?

When there’s a gap between design and manufacturing and no one is considering these questions, projects can quickly fall into trouble. When these considerations are made during design, however, the product is more likely to succeed because it will be cheaper to build, will produce better yields and will be turned around faster for the end customer.

At NorthBridge Technology, one of the first questions we ask a new customer is, “Who is your manufacturer and can we collaborate with them?” Another reason to collaborate early is that many EMS providers will not work with SME customers or low-volume products. By addressing manufacturing up front, we can help ensure that our customers are not exposed to these risks. In the end, it’s about empowering designers to make better decisions earlier in the process.

If you have a new product idea, please talk to NorthBridge Technology and/or OCM Manufacturing. Together, we provide turnkey design engineering, manufacturing, assembly and after-market service – and can help to ensure your product’s success.

Hot Topic

System Assembly Considerations: “Hands-on” Means Higher Costs

One of the most expensive, yet overlooked, aspects of assembly is the manual tasks involved in putting a whole product together. To control costs, it’s desirable to automate as many procedures in the assembly chain as possible. If automation for a specific part of the process is not an option, then a designer must try to minimize the amount of manual work required in getting to the “finished goods” stage.

This article, by OCM’s Kenneth Roots, provides practical design tips to help designers reduce or eliminate the amount of manual assembly their products will require.

Read the whole story >>

New at OCM

Expanded Facility Doubles Capacity, Accommodates System Build

Our expanded manufacturing facility is big, bright, and ready for production! We’ve added:

• Ample space for full-system assembly
• Two Ersa hotflow 3/20 reflow ovens
• Two Siplace placement machines
• An Electrovert Aquastorm cleaning system
• Speedline Ultraflex stencil printer

We invite you to see our expanded operations during Eastern Ontario Manufacturing Week, October 25-29. Contact your Program Manager to schedule a tour!

OCM and NorthBridge Announce Strategic Partnership

To provide low- to mid-volume OEMs and ODMs with true turnkey electronics design, manufacturing and supply chain services, OCM Manufacturing and NorthBridge Technology have announced a strategic partnership that solidifies their working relationship. The two companies will collaborate on the design and manufacture of new electronics products for customers.

Read press release >>

OCM Program Manager Receives 2010 Forty Under 40 Award

Jamie Barnhardt, Program Manager at OCM Manufacturing, was selected as a recipient of the Ottawa Business Journal’s 2010 Forty Under 40 awards.

Both Jamie and Steven Woodard, Program Manager, are two of just 110 Certified EMS Program Managers across North America. We’re proud to have had both of these excellent gentlemen on our team for many years!

In This Issue

Feature Story:A Design Engineer’s Perspective on Manufacturability

Hot Topic:System Assembly Considerations: “Hands-on” Means Higher Costs

New at OCM:Expanded Facility Doubles Capacity

Eastern Ontario Manufacturing Week!

Eastern Ontario Manufacturing Week is October 25-28. Learn more about the incredible manufacturing success stories in our region!
Get info at www.eomn.ca

Featured Resource

The Outsourcing Decision: Producing Tech Products with Low Cost & Maximum Efficiency
Download the PDF »

Archives

Don't forget that you can view past issues of The Line on the OCM website.
Go to past issues >>

Good Reading

Lean and Agile in the LVHM contract manufacturing arena – Written by OCM’s Kenneth Roots, this article was recently published in EP&T magazine.
Read the story online >

Contact OCM Manufacturing

OCM Manufacturing Inc.
2183 Thurston Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1G 6C9

Phone: 613-736-5665
Toll Free Phone: 800-268-3961
Fax: 613-736-5525

info@ocmmanufacturing.com
www.ocmmanufacturing.com