During this stage, you will provide your first mechanical BoM for your product.
#Prototype productions full
If you are planning for a full box build production, you will want to sample as many combinations of product materials as possible to achieve the end product of your dreams.
We recommend keeping these quantities low (50 units max) and set few expectations for their end-use. What it looks like: This is the longest stage of the production process and can take 6 to 8 weeks. This is also a good point in time to start procurement on any long lead-time items you know will not be dropping off your BoM. This is the best stage to evaluate project costs and production volumes. Discovery of sensitive components (such as a microphone sensitive to reflow oven heat)ĭesign Validation Test (DVT) QTY: 10-50 units Time: 6-8 weeksĭesign Validation Testing Goal: The goal of the design validation stage is to produce a first article build of your entire product, including all items such as enclosures, screws, and packaging.Discovery of circuitry or schematic issues.Being proactive this early in the game will eliminate risks, potentially saving time and money in the long-run. As frustrating as these can be to a timeline, we highly recommend iterating on your prototypes until you have caught all potential issues. Should you have some hurdles with your prototype, we recommend iterating on your prototypes until you achieve the desired outcome. The more basic the procedure can be, the easier it will be to scale up the process to handle mass production quantity. MacroFab offers 10-day prototyping.Īfter receiving your prototypes, you will want to establish a functional testing procedure for your units and freeze that procedure. To validate designs quickly, some CMs offer rapid prototyping options. Typically, it takes about 3 to 5 weeks from the time you order your prototype to receiving it on your doorstep, depending on the complexity of your build. Prototyping will begin once your design is validated. For example, MacroFab will contact you if there are any stock issues on your BoM, so you can make the appropriate adjustments to your build, prior to production. If anything comes up during this process, we will contact you with feedback and questions. Once your order is complete and you have submitted payment, our team will validate your design and Bill of Materials (BoM) to make sure we have everything we need for the build. This is to compensate for unforeseen failures stemming from design flaws or parts selection. During this stage it is recommended that you stick to first article quantities (10 to 25). What it looks like: Prototyping is one of the fastest stages and can take anywhere from 10 days to five weeks, depending on the complexity of your board. It is also important for the CM to get to know your product, ensuring preparation for a great build can start early.Įlectronics Validation Testing Goal: A small first article test run of your electrical design to validate key product purpose and functionality. We want to ensure you are satisfied with the quality of work before committing to thousands of units and dollars. Whether you have never brought your hardware idea to life or you are already in the process of producing at high volumes, we personally advise all customers heading into production to prototype their product with their contract manufacturer (CM) first. Prototyping/Electrical Validation Testing (EVT) QTY: 10-25 units Time: 10- 25 business days And yes, MacroFab will work with you through each of these phases. To ease any anxieties about basic product management or timelines that go into scaling up product production, check out the guide below which thoroughly outlines each stage of a typical electronics manufacturing process. Knowing how much time to allocate to each phase of manufacturability validation and making timely decisions is critical to staying on track to meet your schedule. Putting together a ready to ship product with sub-assemblies produced by multiple manufacturers is the hardest part of going from functional prototypes to production, and often the lack of coordination between all parties involved is what introduces the biggest delays. There are hundreds of manufacturers who can help with specific aspects of products, but very few who can provide a turnkey service end-to-end, while guiding the product towards a successful launch. Turnkey PCB Assembly and Box Build manufacturers are a hard find, and it is easy to understand why one-stop shops for hardware products do not exist at every turn.