Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) are organisations that design, test, assign, produce, and provide returns or maintenance for electronic parts and systems for original equipment manufacturers (OEM).
Many of these organisations are established in China because of the availability of resources, the lower costs of upkeep and the speed of construction compared with other countries such as North America. Cities such as Shenzhen, for example, have become a popular product manufacturing hub for this industry, attracting many consumer electronics businesses such as Apple Inc.
What is EMS?
As a term, EMS refers to either an entire sector or a specific type of contractor or firm. In short, EMS organisations offer OEM product manufacturers a diverse variety of value-added technology and construction outsourcing services, enabling them to increase process efficiency and focus on their core operations such as research and development (R&D). These businesses’ overall procedures may comprise the following:
- Designing
- Testing
- Manufacturing
However, different levels of technology and processes are involved in electronic product manufacturing, as it is dependent on the organisation’s core business operations and directions.
How to choose the right EMS provider to work with as a business partner?
Considering that several EMS options exist, there are numerous elements to consider when choosing the most appropriate EMS provider for your next project. However, there are four important features of high-quality EMS providers:
Quality That Satisfies Your Organisation’s Requirements
A reputable EMS provider will understand the importance of quality and your specifications and manufacture the product as per your order. Quality is subjective as it may imply different features. For example, quality can mean the longevity of a product. On the other hand, some might define quality as the ability to function consistently and well in a particular setting. For example, a perceived high-quality product that performs admirably in a dry, moderate-temperature setting is fantastic but fails to do so in a moist environment at extremely low temperatures. Therefore, it can be considered a bad product, as it does not meet the expectations of performing across a spectrum as required.
It’s simple to understand how a product can be rendered obsolete in a world of rapid technological advancement and the great demand for swift and agile product manufacturing processes. However, a good EMS provider needs to cope with this ever-changing landscape and not forgo delivering a reliable and high-quality product in exchange for speed and adaptability. In fact, one key aspect of a top EMS provider is the ability to offer ongoing customer support, especially in the off chance of product malfunction after prototyping and assessment.
Certifications That Prove Their Ability
Certifications awarded by independent industry experts and assessors not only are a sign of ability, but they also indicate that there is integrity and the existence of proper testing procedures by your chosen business partner. Certifications hold an EMS provider responsible for the end product’s quality, the materials used, who has access to the product’s designs, how it is managed once it leaves the factory, and other information. While your product may not require any specific certification, working with a certified electronics manufacturing business will be very beneficial in creating a quality product as it is due to the standards set forth and demanded by their certifications. Essentially, your product’s design is safeguarded if your EMS provider complies with the given certification standards, as it limits who has access to the electronic information linked to your product’s design.
Furthermore, an electronics manufacturing business that adheres to several stringent standards indicates its dedication to quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. Not every electronics manufacturing business supports, possesses or attempts to maintain high-quality certifications. Businesses that do so hold themselves to higher standards because they want their clients’ goods to be of a certain quality, produced ethically, safe for the end-user, and meet your specifications.
Expertise in Project Management
Another significant feature of high-quality electronics manufacturing services is the ability to handle projects in-house. You should seriously consider hiring an EMS provider for its capacity to competently finish your design and production and provide start-to-finish project management, thus offering the best in value for your electronics manufacturing services hiring.
A capable EMS provider is necessary due to its provision of project management, as it is a very important factor. This is because the number of individuals and moving pieces you’ll have to coordinate skyrockets as the project embarks on the later stages. When you have a project manager provided by your EMS, you can be assured that they are always in the loop as they oversee all the teams and suppliers involved.
The EMS project manager does more than just ease your workload. With experience in designing, manufacturing, and distributing similar end-products, they help save money and time. In addition, the EMS project manager will be experienced enough to know the potential snags and areas where projects tend to veer off course. They’re also likely to understand how to save money without losing quality and where you can incorporate efficiencies into your design. This equates to a better product delivered to you earlier and with higher quality. As a result, an EMS project manager is a significant benefit to seek from your EMS provider.
Design for Manufacturing
An electronic manufacturing service that designs and produces is a final feature to search for. A competent EMS provider recognises that it must first pass through manufacturing to achieve your product’s objectives. You won’t go far with a design feature with many nice bells and whistles. Yet, it makes manufacturing it difficult and/or expensive and consequently makes things more difficult for you. However, a good design will be straightforward, and the product can be placed on the market after extensive trials and tests.
Design for manufacture should be discussed when screening possible EMS providers. However, try not to be distracted by novel methods yet to be proven or showy possibilities. Instead, look for an EMS provider that knows how important it is for your product to move quickly through the production process.
Services Provided by Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS)
Almost every company that provides electronic manufacturing services offers the following:
Assembly of Printed Circuit Boards
Once all the components have been connected and mounted on a printed circuit board, the finished board is referred to as a printed circuit board assembly (PCB). The conductive pathways carved in the laminated copper sheets of PCBs are utilised within a non-conductive substrate. The final step in creating a completely functional electronic gadget is to connect all the different electronic modules and components to the PCBs. The PCB board is built using either a surface mount method or a solder component technique in this step. In this step, the necessary components such as resistors, transistors, and integrated circuits are linked to a bare board. After that, you can connect the real gadget to the power supply. The first strategy is easier and more progressive than the through-hole strategy.
Design of Contracts
The practice of aligning your contracting objectives with your company processes and demands is known as contract design. It is the process of allowing one’s company and client demands to guide the way contracts are applied across the company’s whole business ecosystem. For example, if your clients need to access their contracts from their phones since they are always on the go, your delivery method should accommodate them. Contract design is an important aspect of Electronic Manufacturing Services since it allows the entire process to run smoothly. Even before the product layout is ready, a reputable EMS provider becomes involved from the beginning of the process. Electronic manufacturing companies employ architects, stock administrators, and several key personnel to carry out contract design by:
- Experimenting
- Body sculpting with 3-D CAD
- Simulation and prototyping of circuits
- Setting a price
- Integrity investigation
- Reviews of technological feasibility
Testing and Assessing
It is critical to assess quality before shipping the finished product to the consumer. The EMS provider must be able to test electronic devices thoroughly before handover. Visual inspections are required for all assembled PCBs. Short circuits, discontinuities, flowing probe assessment, in-circuit testing, burn-in testing, automated optical inspection, and solder flaws are common tests applied on X-ray equipment prototypes. Before the PCBs are ready to be deployed, they must also undergo functional tests.
Prototyping of Products
Prototyping transforms ideas into tangible products, from paper prototypes to digital prototypes. Many types of industrial prototyping methods are used to capture and test design concepts. Prototypes can test and improve your designs before they are released to the public. Layout drawback analysis, cost savings, final product stability testing, and output validation are just some of the benefits PCB prototypes offer enterprises.
Aftermarket Services
A legitimate EMS provider understands that shipping the final product is not the end of the cycle. Once shipment takes place, there’s still the possibility of malfunction or other unforeseen issues.
For this reason, your chosen EMS provider should always have their aftermarket service policies ready. These revolve around repairing damaged products, renovating, calibrating, and promoting.
Why Is PCI The Best Choice?
When you understand how an EMS provider functions and the different processes it performs, you cannot find one that’s tailored to your business requirements. PCI is an industry expert and leader with numerous years of experience in manufacturing, testing, assembling, prototyping, and dealing with damaged or returned merchandise. As an electronic contract manufacturing firm offering a full scope of electronic manufacturing services, we understand the issues with prototyping.
Our goal is to provide you with a complete electronic manufacturing services solution and help you get your product to market. PCI specialises in prototyping, new product launch, mass production, and end-to-end product and lifecycle solutions. With PCI, you can be assured that you’ll be receiving cost-effective services without compromising on product quality.
Summary
Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) refers to companies that provide end-to-end services for electronic components and printed circuit boards. Assembling printed circuit boards, cables, and electromechanical devices are just a few of such a company’s overall procedures. They also comprise contract design, testing, and evaluation. However, there are many Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) companies worldwide; for this reason, you must find one that meets your specific needs. With the help of the Internet of Things (IoT) and automation, production capacity is predicted to increase significantly. The growing interest in smart home devices, particularly in developed economies worldwide, accounts for a significant portion of the projected growth. When looking for an Electronic Manufacturing Service provider, look for one with certification and the ability to deliver quality products according to your specifications.