In the 1960s, industry engineers proposed a new term — MEMS — but it wasn't until the '80s that they put it in commercial use. The meaning behind MEMS has shifted throughout the last two decades. The phrase is now used to denote both a specific kind of device and a method of manufacturing. When talking about...
Many of our childhood sci-fi movies are filled with robots taking over the world, usually acting as the villains in the story. In the electronics manufacturing world, this couldn’t be further from the truth — without automation, there would be very little growth and innovation. Ever since the first assembly lines Henry Ford installed for the...
For a long time, the industry standard for printed circuit boards (PCBs) has been through-hole circuits. This method is relatively simple to implement but becomes time-consuming on a mass scale. PCBs made by through-hole circuits involved drilling holes into the boards, mounting components on one side of the board, then threading the leads through the appropriate...
“It’s time for production” is what every PCB designer wants to hear. But before you can start with production, you need to find a reliable and capable electronics manufacturer to help you with this venture. You’ve already completed the most challenging tasks by conceptualizing and designing your product; now, you need an EMS company to get your...
When you’re an engineer, you can be confident that you know your “stuff”—but since that can encompass many different things, it’s likely you’ll run into something you don’t know. Of course, that’s nothing to be ashamed about, especially if you’re straight out of school or haven't been in the industry for long. The electronics manufacturing...
You should feel very proud of yourself for how far you’ve come in building your business thus far. You’ve figured out how to manufacture in-house, a fine feat—but have unfortunately begun to hit your max capacity. What to do now? Growth is always a good thing, but you may need to pivot to keep things...
Regardless of the industry, manufacturers should all pay close attention to how much waste and pollution they create. Customers often chose products because the manufacturers are committed to reducing waste. The electronics and the printed circuit board industry is known for producing waste that raises concerns about global ecological issues, especially since they use so many...
Any business that delivers manufactured products to its clients must have a quality assurance program in place. PCB manufacturing isn’t any different. The real challenge comes with keeping the process before, during, and after manufacturing within your set quality standards. Let’s keep in mind that quality assurance is different than quality control as the two are...
