Learn from these mistakes from my years of experience and get your PCB design out safely, within budget, and on time
Read more
Electronics Assembly
6 Mistakes PCB designers can avoid when designing printed circuit boards
VIDEO – Foxconn Chengdu factory, worker conditions and employee interview
In a Foxconn factory located in Chengdu, China, Foxconn employees assemble Apple iPads, iPhones and other products. Apple has recently taken very public steps to better manage working conditions in Asian factories that comprise part of its global supply chain but there remains more work to do.
Read more
Full report: EMS / ODM worry about profitability as fall 2011 survey reveals pessimism in electronics supply chain
471 survey respondents from EMS/ODM, Component Manufacturers, Distributors, Electronic Equipment Manufacturers, OEMs and Semiconductor Manufacturers answer questions on the economic situation; employment, inventory levels, business volume, and prices providing insight into the levels of …
Read more
Military EMS and printed circuit board security risks using global innovation networks
Imagine a GPGPU semiconductor is developed in the U.S. or Japan, and the attendant software and supporting components are developed in India. Then, a medical imaging platform is conceived in Germany and a complete system is built, tested, configured and …
Read more
80 Metrics to focus EMS provider materials management and increase EMS profits
The electronics manufacturing services (EMS) business can be a zero-sum game for many EMS providers given many EMS providers often take on new OEM programs at a loss or, in some best case scenarios, with hopes just to break-even until cost-savings can be designed into products and manufacturing efficiencies can start to take hold.
Read more
Improving printed circuit board surface mount technology (SMT) line productivity with preventative maintenance and cause and effect analysis
Eliminating SMT line preventative maintenance to save costs in tough economic times is a mistake. Tracking SMT line performance with an SMT line downtime form can improve cause and effect analysis and increase productivity.
Read more
2011 Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) outlook with 2010 review
2011 EMS industry perspective reveals risks for Flextronics, Sanmina-SCI, Jabil Circuit, Benchmark Electronics, Plexus. 2010 program wins can take 12 to 18 months to ramp. Possible return to M&A across EMS sector. Increased focus on non-traditional EMS markets. Overall 2010 YTD performance lags notably due to magnitude of mid-2010 decline.
Read more
Worldwide EMS / ODM five year forecasts deals blow to pure ODM model, reflects trends and challenges for industry, OEMs
IDC’s five year forecast (2009 – 2014, see chart) for the worldwide EMS and ODM sectors, plus worldwide total EMS industry, reflects the cost (spend) for product outsource design and manufacturing services and MCOGs sourced to EMS and ODM companies across the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Read more
Mark Larson talks Digi-Key, semiconductors, electronics components, distribution
Larson says performance marketing is rapidly replacing relationship marketing. EMS providers and OEMs recognize committed inventory heavily buffered by uncommitted inventory. Semiconductor chips will continue to address increasingly specific needs of customers. Market forces putting severe competitive pressures on local distributors forcing re-analysis of business models.
Read more
Hyper competition among EMS providers
Credit Suisse estimates two-thirds of operating profit margins for EMS providers is likely derived from component purchase price variance: paying a discounted price for components from suppliers, while getting compensated by OEM customers as if paying standard prices.
Read more
