Our client had recently acquired a line of CCD cameras used primarily in the astronomy market, with customers ranging from backyard astronomers to NASA. With the acquisition, our client assumed all responsibility for manufacturing, product development, customer service, repair, and warranty support of dozens of different products, including CCD cameras, filter wheels, adaptive optics, and other accessories. This substantially increased our client’s hardware-based product line as well as their electronics manufacturing needs.

Design Review & Transition

We worked closely with this client on the transition of product manufacturing, beginning with design reviews of all the products. The product line was an ideal fit for OCM’s high-mix capabilities, as it included flex boards, multi-layer designs, high-complexity boards, and other specialty products.

In some cases, we found that component obsolescence was becoming an issue, and single-source parts were contributing to long lead-times for the turn-around of some products. Our supply chain experts worked to find alternate parts as well as secondary sources for parts with longer lead times. We also helped to streamline processes through the best-practice use of internal part numbers.

We flagged a number of design for manufacturing (DFM) issues that had not previously been identified, and worked with our client to resolve these. In some cases, we helped to redesign products for greater manufacturability. In other cases, we collaborated to find accommodations for the issues.

“Design for manufacturing isn’t something that you learn in university,” our client notes. “You learn it on the job. Also, different companies have different ways of doing things. With OCM Manufacturing’s help, we’ve learned a lot about improving our designs, optimizing them, and making them more compact.”

Improving Quality, Reliability, and Price

By addressing issues of obsolescence and manufacturability, we were able to ensure a stronger foundation for the product line’s future.

Through more compact and efficient design choices, we have been successful in delivering high quality and reliability at competitive prices.

By leveraging our established processes and best practices, we are supporting our client in integrating and managing turnkey manufacturing and support for a complex and high-mix line of products.

As our client confirms: “OCM has been instrumental in supporting product redesigns, making design improvements that have a positive impact on product manufacturability, streamlining our manufacturing processes, and consistently delivering reliably and with high quality standards.”

If you have legacy product lines to manage – or new product lines to develop or assimilate – we can help manage the burdens of manufacturing and support, freeing you to focus on market development and sales. Talk to us!