NPI and Rapid Prototyping - The Easy Way

When a new product reaches the prototyping stage all interested parties need the confidence that it will be executed in an efficient and effective manner complementing the transition from design through to volume production.  To do this, choosing the right manufacturing partner is essential to stress free NPI.

Plexus, recognises that this is a critical stage in the development process.  The Kelso based manufacturing site has established a fully functional dedicated prototype centre separate from volume manufacturing.  The centre, which is ISO13485 approved, employs a team of technicians, engineers and buyers trained and skilled in low volume prototype manufacturing and product development support.  In addition it utilises the very latest tools and Design for Manufacturing/Test (DFM/DFT) techniques to ensure the transition from design to manufacture is as efficient as possible.

“We advise our customers to liaise with us as early as possible in the development process, our team has been working together for a number of years and there are not many problems they have not encountered before, which can provide additional reassurance when problems are encountered,” commented Murray Bruce, Manufacturing Transition Manager, at Plexus.  “Products are taken through a detailed manufacturing readiness review, this is an in-house risk analysis tool to guide the development team through a structured process to determine if the product is ready for volume manufacturing.”

The transition to volume production benefits from the common manufacturing platform and tools used throughout all Plexus sites globally, therefore the customer can run their prototypes and initial low volumes locally to them for immediate transition to our low cost regions in Asia if required.