Short Papers
Concise and useful information and tips for companies who develop low- to mid-volume high-tech products.
Design & Manufacturing of Industrial Controls – an ideal process and partnership
This short paper explains the unique design requirements specific to industrial controls, and examines key considerations for the successful design and manufacture of such products. It also defines a working partnership model for OEMs with niche industrial control products and their contract manufacturers. Go >
Save Money and Improve Quality with Intelligent CAD Data
If you’re not currently providing intelligent CAD files to your contract manufacturing partner, you’re absolutely missing out on financial savings and quality benefits. Go >
Consignment vs. Turnkey Manufacturing – Cost-Benefit Analysis
When evaluating the options of using either a consigned or a turnkey manufacturing outsourcing model, many companies fail to factor in many of the costs of consignment. This short paper will assist you in calculating the true cost of managing materials under both a consignment and turnkey model, including overhead, hard costs, and assumed risks. Go >
Right-Sized Contract Electronics Manufacturing for Low- and Mid-Volume Product Lines
Defines the two general types of contract electronics manufacturing business models and details how one is ideal for low- and mid-volume product lines. Outlines the five most important things a company with lower volume manufacturing needs should seek out in a long-term CM partner. Go >
IPC standards – why we use them and how they work
One of the important roles that IPC standards play in PCB design is to help designers and manufacturers negotiate the trade-offs between design effort and product performance. This paper outlines the IPC standards that OCM Manufacturing relies upon to ensure quality and manage the inherent trade-offs of PCB design. Download this short paper (PDF) >> Go >
The Outsourcing Decision: Producing Tech Products with Low Cost and Maximum Efficiency
This paper explores the decisions that early-stage companies face regarding what to outsource, when, how much, and to whom, and describes the various options available in each case. Go >
When Two Heads are Better Than One: Design for Manufacturing
This short paper examines some widely held myths that most frequently lead to harmful or fatal discoveries during the manufacturing phase, with examples given for each. The paper outlines five top best practices of DFM as a means of illustrating the kind of early-stage guidance that a CM can provide with relatively minimal effort. Go >
Optimizing the Clean-Tech Manufacturing Mix
This short paper considers the unique characteristics of the renewable energy and clean-tech sectors and explore how a smartly optimized electronics manufacturing outsourcing model can help OEMs accelerate their time-to-market and support their cost-per-kilowatt reduction goals. Go >