The Importance of Quality Assurance in PCB & Electronic Manufacturing
The quality of the finished product should always be your biggest concern when it comes to your PCB assembly and manufacturing. Undetected flaws during PCB manufacturing not only directly impact your boards, but could torpedo your entire project. You need to know that the electronic manufacturer you outsource your boards to takes quality seriously and follows strict PCB assembly quality control methods. You want an ECM with quality assurance measures already in place. This will ensure consistency and safety, as well as cut costs while earning you repeat business.
Components Management
Your ECM must have processes and inspections in place to ensure that your board will be assembled with the best parts. Components management should begin during the design phase when parts are selected for your PCB assembly. From there, quality control includes knowing exactly where your PCB components are, where they have been, and what has happened to them in-between.
The authenticity and availability of parts must also be tracked to mitigate the risk of a parts shortage or counterfeit components finding their way into your boards. Look for an ECM with a vetted supplier network to guarantee supply chain integrity.
Certifications
Quality certifications prove you are working with a company that takes risk mitigation and quality seriously. ISO, AS9100, and ITAR compliance indicates the ECM has taken the time to earn and maintain industry certifications to ensure your PCBs will meet or exceed industry standards. Certified manufacturers will protect your product, and are guaranteed to have the equipment, space, and skills required for high-quality electronic contract manufacturing.
Experience in Many Industries
There is no substitute for learning through experience, and the more experience an electronic contract manufacturer has, the better. Established electronic manufacturers will have experience in several industries, including consumer, military, aerospace, medical, government, food industry, and everything in between. They can be counted on to follow industry laws, regulations, guidelines, and specifications that will affect every stage of the manufacturing process.
Your ECM’s expertise across many industries shows it is a company that can be relied on to produce quality products while complying with industry specifications.
Continuous Improvement Processes
Electronic manufacturers that follow a continuous improvement process, such as Plan-Do-Check-Act, tend to work more efficiently. Such processes identify opportunities that benefit their business without interrupting daily tasks. These benefits add value to their products and services. This includes increased productivity, improved quality, and lower costs.
Inspections and Rigorous Testing
Testing and inspections are essential steps in the quality assurance process.
Work at every step of the PCB assembly process should be constantly checked through a variety of automated and human inspection techniques. In addition, testing early and often is the only true way to see how your design functions and see if it will stand up to the rigor of its end-use.
Conclusion
Customers are much more likely to give you repeat business when they know they can count on the consistent quality of your products. It takes hard work, attention to detail, and uniform quality control systems to attain a high level of consistent quality. This is why it is paramount to work with an ECM like Levison Enterprises that promotes quality through every step of the PCB assembly, design, and manufacturing process.
Levison Enterprises is an ISO 9001 certified company that continually audits processes and takes painstaking steps to ensure the highest quality in the products we manufacture. We promote efficiency and quality with hefty quality assurance systems in place at every level.
You deserve a manufacturing partner that takes quality seriously and makes your product the best it can be. Levison Enterprises is that company. Contact us today for a free estimate on your next project.
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