5 Things You Should Know About NRE
Non-recurring engineering (NRE) is a broad term referring to a one-time cost to develop, design, or manufacture a new product.…
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Offshoring to China More Expensive Than United States
Offshoring to China is now more expensive than building in the United States (for the United States). Using objective 3rd…
SMT Temperature and Humidity Control
One of the most important ways to prevent PCB defects is controlling factory environmental conditions. If the manufacturing floor’s humidity and…
Avoiding Risk with a Thorough BOM Scrub
A BOM scrub is the act of scanning a Bill-of-Materials (BOM) to clean off any inconsistencies, errors, or potential risks. It…
Cut Tape vs. Tape and Reel
When procuring components, it’s important to pay attention to packaging type. Most component distributors offer the same components in a…
Why You Should Always Use a Solder Sample
A solder sample is non-usable board that represents a usable PCB during test processes. It can be used to test…
Fixturing vs. Paneling in SMT
When a PCB is thin, small, oddly shaped, or requires SMT components near its edges, chances are these kinds of…
Reducing the Cost of RoHS Compliance
For small to medium size CMs, the cost of RoHS compliance can be high—5.2% of annual revenue, by some estimates.…
When Do You Repair and When Do You Scrap PCBs?
For mid-size EMS providers, costs of rework can add up quickly. By some estimates, rework alone could result in tens of…
Moisture Sensitivity Levels Explained
Atmospheric moisture absorbed into surface mount packages can expand when exposed to the intense heat of solder reflow ovens. The…
Don’t Underestimate Solder Paste Inspection
Over 50% of PCB assembly solder joint defects can be traced back to improper or sub-optimal solder paste printing. While…
Counterfeit Component Risk Management
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) estimates that counterfeit PCB components cost manufacturers more than $7.5 billion annually, and warns that counterfeit components…