00. EMS Fundamentals
The no-fluff map of how EMS really works: data, process, cost, risk.
Part 1. Orientation: What EMS Is and How Work Flows
Define the roles, lifecycle, and “minimum data” required to avoid chaos before the first build.
1.1 The 5-Minute Mental Model
Electronics manufacturing operates on a rigid causal loop: Product = Data + Materials + Process C...
1.2 What Is Being Built: PCB vs PCBA vs Box Build
Precision in terminology is the first line of defense against manufacturing error. Using "PCB" wh...
1.3 Who Does What: OEM, EMS, ODM
Manufacturing relationships are defined by one question: Who owns the Intellectual Property (IP)?...
1.4 The End-to-End Lifecycle: Prototype → NPI → Mass Production
A common and expensive misconception is that Mass Production is simply a Prototype built at high ...
1.5 The Minimum Manufacturing Data Pack
A manufacturing line does not run on good intentions; it runs on data. The most common cause of p...
1.6 Cost and Lead-Time Drivers Without the Math
The final price of an electronic assembly is not determined by a random markup; it is a summation...
1.7 Supply Chain and Logistics: Speed vs Stability
A product sitting on a factory loading dock is not revenue; it is a liability. It only becomes va...
1.8 Quality, Compliance, and “Definition of Done”
In professional electronics manufacturing, "it turns on" is not a quality standard; it is merely ...
Part 2. The Product Anatomy: The Board and the Parts
Understand the physical constraints: PCB stackup, copper features, finishes, packages, and practi...
2.1 PCB Materials and Layers
The Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is not merely a passive holder for components; it is an active me...
2.2 Copper Features and Vias
In CAD software, a trace is a vector line with zero resistance and infinite precision. On the fac...
2.3 Solder Mask, Silkscreen, Surface Finish
Once the copper etching is complete, the board is electrically functional but manufacturing-hosti...
2.4 Components and Packages
A schematic symbol is a theoretical instruction; a component package is a physical constraint. In...
2.5 DFM Rules of Thumb for Non-Designers
Design for Manufacturing (DFM) is not about making a product "easy" to build; it is about obeying...
Part 3. The Factory Process: Turning Data + Parts Into Shippable Units
Walk the real production chain: DFM + freeze, SMT, manual/THT, inspection, test, box build, shipp...
3.1 The Virtual Build: DFM + Sourcing + Data Freeze
Before a single dollar is spent on silicon or a single stencil is cut, the product must be built ...
3.2 SMT in One Page: Print → Place → Reflow
Surface Mount Technology (SMT) is the heartbeat of modern electronics manufacturing. It is a line...
3.3 Manual and Through-Hole Assembly
While SMT is a triumph of robotic consistency, Through-Hole Technology (THT) and Manual Assembly ...
3.4 Inspection and Defect Handling: AOI, X-Ray, Rework
Inspection does not add value to a product; it only adds cost. A board that passes inspection is ...
3.5 Test Strategy: ICT vs Functional vs Burn-In
Testing is the only mechanism that converts a manufacturing gamble into a guaranteed product. Wit...
3.6 Harnessing and Box Build
The transition from PCBA to Box Build (System Integration) is a shift from the microscopic precis...
3.7 Shipping, Traceability, and Returns
The manufacturing process does not end when the device passes its final test. It ends when the cu...
Part 4. Operating Discipline: Keeping Quality Stable While Scaling
Run the factory with numbers and control: core KPIs, change discipline, risk management, and debu...
4.1 Metrics That Matter: Yield, FPY, Scrap, OTD
A factory generates two things: products and data. If you ignore the data, the product will event...
4.2 Change Control and Revisions
In manufacturing, the only thing more dangerous than a bad design is an ambiguous one. "Continuou...
4.3 Risk Management for EMS Projects
In electronics manufacturing, optimism is a liability. A successful project manager does not hope...
4.4 Common Failure Modes and the Debug Workflow
A zero-defect manufacturing run is a theoretical ideal, not an operational reality. When a produc...