"Can we go directly from 1 prototype to mass production? After all, if they can make 1 good piece, surely they can make 10,000 good pieces?" Well, not really. When it comes to 3D printed parts or a product that comes entirely out of a mold, that might work. But, when different fabrication processes are involved to create custom parts (e.g. extruding the aluminum enclosure in just the right shape) and make them look nice (e.g. powder-coating it in just the right shade of grey), it gets … [Read more...]
Choosing the right Battery for your New Electronic Product [Long Guide]
A question many of our clients have asked us is, 'What type of battery should we use in our new electronic product?" And, in some cases, the answer is not obvious for buyers who struggle with choosing the right battery. The number and variety of cheap sensors available are now staggering. And keeping a physical object connected to the internet, or to a mobile phone's app, has gotten easier over the past 10 years. That has sparked the explosion of IoT devices. Those "smart" and "connected" … [Read more...]
18 Electronic Product Design Firms For ‘Made-in-China’ Products
You just came up with a great idea for a new electronic hardware product that you plan to manufacture, and you are wondering what the next step is? The answer at this stage is working on electronic product design and probably not searching for a manufacturer, since they will need these elements: A detailed description of features List of components with specifications, and the product architecture PCB schematic A look-alike and work-alike prototype Testing stations Before you … [Read more...]
Bringing an IoT Product from Concept to Market: Case Study
We've been fortunate to help Ahera develop their OSIA IoT smart band from concept to prototype and to get them prepared to take the next steps (tooling, certification, preparation, production). It is actually a great case study for entrepreneurs planning to develop their own product and manufacture it in China, so I thought it would make for an interesting article. Ahera is in the middle of an Indiegogo campaign these days. I went to interview their founder, Rudy Bottin, about what it took to … [Read more...]
R&D and Power Consumption Evaluation – Develop an Electrical Product In China Part 2
Last week I posted part 1 of our series on What It Takes to Develop a New Electronic Product in China. In this second part, we look at R&D and at the evaluation of power consumption. 1. R&D (both in-house & with a manufacturing partner) 1.1 Functional and System Development Research and development involve a lot of work that is typically split between your in-house capabilities (if you employ designers and engineers) and your supplier capabilities. One extreme is a company … [Read more...]
What It Takes to Develop a New Electronic Product in China – Part 1
More and more companies work with a Chinese manufacturing partner to develop a complex new product that includes electronic and mechanical components. We decided to start a new series of articles. It will be based on a fictitious new product. The product concept There are more and more drones, sometimes used for malevolent purposes (checking if an isolated villa can be broken into, etc.). This situation creates a need for a solution to "arrest" a drone without causing safety concerns (no … [Read more...]