FEATURE CONTRACT MANUFACTURING RIGHT FIRST TIME
materials. Circuit Solutions purchasing team works closely with their customers and discusses any feedback in relation to rationalising components, component availability and suggested alternatives, as well as working closely on the cost reduction.
3. On-time delivery, Quality and Competitive prices All professional buyers will prioritise
Selective Solder Machine
There are several factors to look out for when selecting a contract electronics manufacturing Partner, from manufacturing know how, to supply chain expertise.
R
ight first time normally applies to the electronic manufacturing element of the business but it can also be applied to choosing your manufacturing partner. To help in achieving this Circuit Solutions (Cambridge) Ltd lists some of the most pertinent in a suggested 5 point guide to selecting a CEM partner:
1. A close working relationship is one of the top priorities for any buyer looking to select a CEM supplier. This is something Circuit Solutions strives to achieve, with customer feedback confirming that this type of relationship is important.
One of their customer testimonials, for example, reads: ‘’Circuit Solutions is seen as a partnership from building prototypes of their new designs, managing their component supply chain, assembling their most complex boards, right through to functional test and box build. Our design team works closely with Circuit Solutions to standardise components across our product range and to ensure manufacturability’’. And another customer testimonial also reads: ‘‘When selecting our manufacturing partners, we consider not only their technical capability and competence, but also their flexibility and adaptability. We have well over thirty
34 JUNE 2020 | ELECTRONICS
different assemblies that CSL make for us, varying hugely in complexity and volumes, so we need a partner who can handle that. CSL work with us from prototyping right through to full production and in many cases delivering fully tested and box-built products. It’s a real partnership’’. The knowledge and experience of the CEM team in all elements of manufacturing is vital, particularly in technical and engineering areas. A CEM that offers design for manufacture advice can provide buyers with some important feedback and recommendations to improve product quality and manufacturability.
2. Supply chain expertise. The importance of an efficient supply chain cannot be underestimated. The CEM’s purchasing team should remove the stress from your procurement process. Look for a CEM purchasing team with an in-depth knowledge of component sourcing and relationships with franchised and ‘trusted’ suppliers. Ensure they can source within required timescales and that they can handle obsolete component sourcing through a network of specialist suppliers. They should also offer the ability to hold buffer stock. Also one major focus of a CEM is working with suppliers to bring down costs on customers’ bills of
on-time delivery of a quality product at a competitive price. At Circuit Solutions these are included as the company’s primary quality objectives. The on- time deliveries are monitored through the MRP system. The manufacturing quality is monitored by the inspection team at the following stages: AOI, Fine Pitch, PTH and Test. The achievement in winning business through being competitive is monitored and recorded in the sales quote reports. When visiting a potential CEM, request a guided tour covering all manufacturing processes. Look at the yield rates of the different processes and establish what ESD controls are in place. At Circuit Solutions their target is greater than 98% first time pass rate. A good CEM will have the quality of manufacture as key to their success and helping to achieve this will be the focus on inspection.
Along with having their own certified
IPC and J-STD trainer, that ensures operators are fully trained to the latest industrial standards. The approvals achieved should include IPC-610 and IPC-620 along with production staff trained to IPC-J-STD-001 and IPC7711/7721 rework and modification. Additionally, they should be fully compliant with ESD Controls Program to IEC61340-5-2 in all manufacturing areas from goods in through to despatch. These standards would also be supported by a detailed robust quality management system to ensue their ISO9001-2015 accreditation is maintained. Focusing on inspection, this has become more challenging with advancement of more complex circuit designs and miniaturisation of components. Inspection should be carried out on all assemblies at each stage of manufacture as they should be fully aware of the importance of ‘Right First Time’. THE CEM should have in depth inspection procedures for all stages of manufacture from receipt of components through to despatch of the finished
/ ELECTRONICS
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