Production parties aim to reproduce a product as well and efficiently as possible and are set up accordingly. It is necessary that everything is recorded. Otherwise it could happen that one product is different from the next. Production parties therefore place high demands on product information. Many producers are breaking down the barrier between prototype and production with its own production preparation and/or design department. Such a department is able to work with less data, they then compile the extensive information themselves. This is of course only possible in collaboration with the customer. The actual production preparations only begin after such a production manual has been drawn up. From making molds to programming production machines. All these activities take up a lot of time, which means that the start-up of production often takes longer than you think (depending on complexity from a few weeks to a few months).
To avoid disappointments in the transition from development to production, it is important to pay attention to manufacturability at an early stage of the design process. Therefore, make use of the knowledge of producers. Their directions allow for a more manufacturable design, can avoid manual edits and rule out last minute adjustments for prototype production. By properly coordinating the possible batch sizes, the right production technique can be chosen. As a result, for example, the initial investment can be somewhat lower and the costs per product somewhat higher. This is often applied to new products where the market demand is still unclear. The other way around is of course also possible.
For the selection of a manufacturer, knowledge of the production market and basic knowledge of the various production options are necessary. With this knowledge, a number of parties can be approached that suit the product and the batch size. Don't limit it to one, but always make sure you have a choice. If your product is a composite product that you do not want to assemble yourself, you can also use a assembly lot Search. They can then subdivide the various components to other suppliers and thus take care of the entire chain.
You achieve the best result by defining a number of criteria in advance that are important in the present situation. Just your feeling or the price is too limited. You can then submit a number of those criteria to the potential producer as a question. You will have to experience other criteria yourself by visiting, looking at references, etc. Criteria can include: nominal series sizes, quality standards, familiarity with the end market, location, accuracy, presence of design / production preparation expertise, possibility to scale up , etc. Valuing these aspects along with your gut gives a fairly objective choice and increases the chance of a successful transition from development to production.
This way of dealing with production preparation does require an upfront investment in time and money. However, these investments are disproportionate to having to solve production problems or switch producers afterwards!
