6 Things You Need to Know While Outsourcing Box Build Assembly

Nowadays, more and more electronic manufacturers are finding it convenient to outsource their job. Today, it has become very common to outsource box build assemblies. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) can outsource different tasks to a Contract Manufacturer (CM), such as:

• Manufacturing
• Logistics
• Materials Management
• Order Fulfillment
• Design and Testing

For a smooth operation and hassle-free build process, you need to take into account certain points. What are these points that are so crucial while outsourcing your box build assembly? Read on to get the answer to this question.

Things to Consider While Outsourcing Box Build Assembly

When you decide to outsource your box build assembly, you need to consider some things. Here are some of the most important pointers to take into account, before you proceed:

1. Bill of Material (BOM): When you outsource your assembly, the basic thing that is required is the bill of material, or BOM, as it is commonly referred. A bill of materials is a list of components, and assemblies that are required to manufacture the product. With the BOM, you should make it very clear, as to which components are to be sourced by the Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider, and which components will be provided by you. In addition to this, you need to define who is going to define the smaller items such as adhesives, wires, tie wraps, washers, heat shrink, identifiers, nuts and bolts - you or the supplier. Why to define? Well, though these are consumables, you are required to spend a good amount of cost for them. By defining who will provide what, it eliminates the chances of production delays and unexpected cost increase.


2. Assembly: With the help of 3D CAD models, you can easily visualize the end product. Therefore, you should provide these CAD models. Most of the CAD packages offer free drawing viewers. Some of the advanced EMS providers make use of these packages for converting drawings to build instructions. You should always provide layout drawings, which show the placement and positioning of components.


3. Schematics: For electrical systems, it is very important on your part to provide the schematics or circuit diagrams. This will give the EMS provider a better understanding of the circuit, thus leading to an error-free assembly. Once you provide the schematics, it the job of the EMS provider to produce cutting lists.


4. Sample Units: When you provide a sample unit to the manufacturing partner, it becomes the most important source of information, particularly if the drawings or schematics are incomplete or unclear. In such cases, an EMS provider can provide you more clear drawings, thus ensuring consistent builds.


5. Size and Weight: The size and weight of your unit is very important for the EMS provider to know. Providing this information, it not only becomes easier for the provider to store and handle the unit through the build process, but also provides a valuable information for shipping. In this process, you are also required to decide how you want to pack and transport the finished product.


6. Testing: When you outsource your box build assembly, you should state the basic safety testing to your manufacturing partner. You should specify whether you want to perform flash test or earth bond test. You can also ask for functional testing or factory acceptance testing. The latter can be done by your staff before the final product is sent to the end customer. You should decide whether you want to perform any of the aforementioned testing processes or you are satisfied with visual inspection. If you feel confused, you can always get help from the EMS provider, who has years of experience and vast knowledge of their field of work.

When you decide to outsource the box building assembly, you need to ensure that you work in close cooperation with your EMS provider, as well as your customers. You should also make sure that you provide all the necessary information, so that both you and your manufacturing partner are on the same page. This further ensures a good start to a healthy relationship between you and your service provider.

Sierra Assembly ensures its clients up to the mark Box Build Assembly.