Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Will the CM accept orders without requiring its own design for manufacturability
(DFM) engineering be applied to the design, especially if that engineering service
comes at an additional cost?
Can the CM support your materials and process requirements (e.g., solder and flux
type, Restriction of Hazardous Substances [RoHS] or conflict-free compliance,
100% testing of each solder joint)?
Is the CM accepting of both infrequent and unpredictable orders with potentially
varied unit quantities in each order?
Of nearly equal importance to selecting the right contract manufacturer is the decision
of whether to supply that CM with all the inventory for each production run or ask the CM
to handle this task for you (typically known as a
turnkey
solution). If you have chosen a
reputable CM to work with, it will more than likely do a great job of sourcing all your bill
of materials (BOM) components for you. Understand, however, that the CM will be
providing this service at an additional cost to you. Also, be prepared to hear its ideas for
how your design can be improved to better optimize your product for efficiency gains
when being built with the manufacturer's production processes.
In contrast, making the decision to set up your own supply network and provide your
CM with inventory
can
deliver some very tangible benefits, including some significant
cost savings. Be aware, however, that this route will require a lot of hard work spent con-
tacting potential suppliers to establish a network for procuring the components needed for
your design.
Anecdote: Innovate with China
Momi Han and Seeed Studio
The concept of “innovate with China” is situated parallel to Chinese
Shanzhai culture. China has grown to be a manufacturing giant in the
past 50 years—hence the “Made in China” stickers attached to the vast
majority of products around the globe. A new shift is occurring where
China wants to innovate with the rest of the globe and use its people's
creativity, rather than simply manufacturing other people's products.
With the global demand for mobile phones, tablets, and anything elec-
tronic, Shanzhai culture helps lower the costs of commonly used com-
ponents, making them accessible to makers in a convenient, quick way.
The usual production timeline of a hardware start-up is seven to eight
years; with the advent of open source hardware, the average time to
shape the first prototypes is highly shortened. If you are in China, espe-
cially in Shenzhen, you'll also find that it's much easier to actualize
