In house PCB manufacturing VS Contract manufacturing

What is “In house PCB manufacturing” and how does it compare to “Contract manufacturing”? The difference between the two can have a significant impact on the decision that must be made when choosing whether or not to go with a contract PCB supplier. Before we get into what these deciding factors are, let's take a look at the comparison between the two practices.

We’ll start by comparing in-house PCB manufacturing. There are some key factors that can make in-house PCB manufacturing a great option for your manufacturing needs. The first is flexibility. A design may undergo changes or improvements at any given time, and this may very well be the case while an ongoing project is already in the manufacturing stage. With in-house fabrication, it is a much smoother process to simply update the files and quickly implement the design change. In general, this process may not be as easy when dealing with contract manufacturers. However, at Bittele electronics, we are able to operate with the same flexibility mentioned above when working with in-house production. If a design change is needed, we are already prepared with steps to implement the design change as smoothly as possible while minimizing any potential or inevitable losses. Clients may send us their updated files and production will be immediately updated.

Another key factor is improved quality. With in-house production, it is much easier to control the quality of your own product. There is generally a larger risk when dealing with contract manufactures due to the fact that your project is not the only project that they may be dealing with. It can be expected that larger quantity orders would take precedence over smaller orders. Bittele Electronics breaks away from this expectation and maintains a very high standard of quality with no differences when dealing with lower quantity or prototype orders vs medium or higher quantity production orders. Each and every order is treated with the same quality management procedures, regardless of its quantity.

A third key factor is control of production. With in-house manufacturing, it can be advantageous through resource planning to account for production spikes and employing methods to handle them. However, in some cases, when relying on in-house productions, there can be times where there is not enough labour or equipment to meet the supply demand. In these cases, outsourcing may be the only option available to meet deadlines. Bittele Electronics’s excellent resource planning allows us to make considerations for production spikes and allows us to always meet the demand for our clients. Starting from the quotation stage, we will always consider any and all special instructions that may affect lead time and we will make them known in advance before the order is placed. We use state of the art machinery to meet your needs, and more on our PCB capabilities can be found pcb fabrication. Bittele is also always willing to sign an NDA with our clients to ensure that your designs are safe and at no risk of intellectual property loss.

Finally, a fourth key-factor from a logistics standpoint, in-house manufacturing generally saves you time and money. There is less of a need to transport products (especially across international borders) that are needed for production. In some cases, these transportations can cost just as much as producing the products in the first place. As a one-stop-shop for all your project needs, Bittele Electronics alleviates these costs by supplying all of your materials for you with our full-turnkey services. There are no additional costs associated with allowing us to supply everything your project needs from start to finish. When needed, we can also accept your consigned parts to us hassle-free and will always work with you in this regard to reduce your overall costs.