East West Manufacturing Blog

Lower cost. That's the goal of every sourcing or procurement manager, right? Well, it's certainly one goal. But how is cost measured? How great is a cheaper part or component if you can't get it on time or it isn't up to spec? 

Hey, we get it. No one, NO ONE, likes to wait. But there are ways to mitigate the potential delays in ordering electronic assemblies containing long lead time (LLT) components.

We expect a lot from our products, especially our electronic products. Think about it: cellphones, wearables, medical devices — for some reason we think they should still work after being immersed in liquid, left outdoors in freezing temperatures or dropped on concrete from a standing position.

Photo courtesy of Handheld

Last year I upgraded my phone. It’s a beautiful phone – sleek, champagne colored. I love the feel of it. Unfortunately, I rarely see what the phone actually looks like because after purchase I immediately encased it in a hard plastic, optic yellow case with a turquoise blue rubber overlay.

I did that because I know me. I will drop the phone...

Here’s a question that came across my desk the other day: What’s the first thing to know when designing a printed circuit board (PCB)? In case you’re not hip to PCBs, let me assure you that you interact with them on a daily basis. They’re found in everything from dollar store toys to radios to continuous glucose monitoring systems.