You need to be able to source electronic components for your new product that reach your cost, quality, and reliability expectations. In fact, the success of your product is riding on the components that it’s made up of being perfect for the job. It’s not as simple as just going online and choosing something that works, either. In order to find perfect components, we follow this process…
What follows is a summary of the electronic component selection steps, but I discussed it in far more detail on our group’s podcast here.
The electronic component selection process is more complex than many people think. Proper electronic component selection is not actually as simple as going to Radio Shack, buying a part, and just using it as long as it works. Today’s manufacturers need to make sure that their components to be used in mass production meet certain criteria and there are many elements to consider during the sourcing process. We’ve broken the process down into 18 steps…
1. Define your Requirements
To define your requirements you’ll consider what your product does, its users, the environment it will be in, and how this particular component needs to function in order to help it achieve its goals among others. Each part’s cost, specifications, etc, must be noted now, too.
2. Select the Key Components
Key components are those that the product relies upon to function correctly. For electronics, it might be a display, type of chip, enclosure, etc. Without these, you are in trouble so they must be noted and considered with care.
3. Analyze the Operating Environment/s
Note your product’s intended operating environments. Components that can handle the environment without failing are crucial, otherwise, the product will be unreliable.
4. Identify Critical Parameters per component
Your requirements will demand that components that work in a specific range must be sourced, therefore you need to work on the range of parameters you need for each part. This might be voltage, tolerances, etc. If you select parts without the right parameters you may find that they fail if the environment alters slightly, such as a power surge, or those that are too highly rated just cost you too much.
5. Source the Components
Sourcing components directly from component manufacturers is usually the best option in terms of cost and reliability of supply. You should always obtain the datasheets and check the specifications against your requirements.
6. Consider the Supply Chain
It will reduce risks of disruption if you choose to source from well-established and professional manufacturers. At the same time, find a second-source supplier, especially for key components, so they can step in and supply you if there is ever a problem with your main pick.
7. Check for Obsolescence
Design engineers should be wary of each part’s lifecycle and confirm with the manufacturer that they plan to produce it for the long term. This will reduce the risks of you incorporating a part into your new product that is then suddenly unavailable.
8. Analyze costs
Purchasing components at the right cost impacts the sale price of the product. If you buy in large quantities prices will be far lower, so it’s better to find a supplier who can supply your required quantity at a reasonable price.
9. Selecting Components at the right level of Reliability and Quality
To guarantee better reliability you should try to select parts that have a margin of reliability, for example, they can handle temperatures outside of the usual operating environment of the product. To do this, you need to perform reliability testing on samples of the parts.
10. Purchase Second-Source Components
If you have found second-source suppliers for your critical components at least, be sure to purchase some and then if there is an emergency you will already have a supplier who can step in and won’t have to do the sourcing process from scratch causing delays.
11. Component Database
Implement a component database and keep it updated with new versions of datasheets, version numbers, etc. Be sure to remove obsolete information so your team only sees up-to-date information about the components.
12. Design for Excellence, especially DFM
Use DfX to design your product with design goals in mind that will reduce risks later on, for example, Design for Manufacturing, or DFM , is a popular principle to embrace because it emphasizes designing the product to be easier and more straightforward to manufacture and at a lower cost.
13. Compliance and Standards
Check each component’s datasheet to confirm that it complies with the safety standards and regulations of wherever you intend to sell it. If you unwittingly miss a compliance requirement it’s very unlikely you can sell the product which will be a disaster if they’re all waiting on the docks in a container.
14. Simulating and Prototyping the Product
Now you can make tangible samples or prototypes. You will use the components to make rough prototypes at first and then, as you iterate the prototypes, they will get closer and closer to production standard. This helps you to qualify and validate the functions, performance, looks, etc, of the product.
15. Documentation and Record-Keeping
The many changes that design engineers make to the product during the development process need to be documented so progress can be tracked and team members know when changes were made. Fixes to problems may be collected in a lessons-learnt database, along with dates, who made a change or fix, etc.
16. Design Reviews
Not long before production starts you will have done a lot of testing on components and prototypes and will be close to satisfied that it looks and works correctly, reaching your goals and expectations. But, before signing off, a design review meeting should be called where all engineers and management examine each part of the product being in mind if it reaches its requirements. The purpose is to validate and verify that the product reaches its requirements for performance, reliability, quality, etc, and functions as expected.
17. Lock the Bill of Materials (BOM)
Before manufacturing the BOM is locked which means that there are no more changes to parts used or designs. Component suppliers are contacted to confirm costs and availability and place orders. Everyone works together to make sure that all of the parts will arrive on time for production to start on a specific date. Then attention turns to setting up the manufacturing assembly line/s, writing SOPs, hiring staff, etc.
18. Pilot Run
Before starting mass production it’s the last chance to check that the components you have selected can be used to manufacture the products at scale. For this, use the components that you have, by now, tested and validated in a short pilot run using the same line, staff, equipment, processes, etc, as will be used in mass production. If there are any production issues, packaging problems, etc, you will encounter them now and can fix them before things go any further and you have produced thousands of units of your product.
Get help
Agilian has a supply chain management team that can assist you in sourcing the ideal components for your needs. Here’s how we manage supply chains for you.
If you have any questions about bringing your new product to market, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us…we’re happy to offer some friendly advice and let you know if and how can help you.
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