The document summarizes key considerations for gearing up for volume manufacturing in China, including data management of bills of materials (BOM) and revisions, manufacturing timelines and stages, part sourcing and lead times, manufacturing line setup and automation, and quality assurance processes. It discusses product lifecycle management systems, engineering change orders, prototyping and validation testing phases, non-recurring engineering costs, line dependencies, minimum order quantities, and tracking systems like RFID and MES.

1. Gearing up for Volume
Manufacturing
Tales from China
Omer Kilic
OSHCamp 2019

2. omer.kilic.name
@OmerK

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joeqB7QBRC8

6. Agenda
• Data Management: BOM and Revision Control, Change Management
• Manufacturing Timeline: Terminology, Stages and Checkpoints
• Part Sourcing: Terminology, Lead Time Nightmares, Alternative Sourcing
• The Line: SOP, Automation, Testing, QA, Security
• Q & A

7. Starting Point
https://blog.bolt.io/ideation/

8. Data Management

9. PLM / PDM
Product Lifecycle Management / Product Data Management
System(s) used to keep track of and manage:
• Requirements and Documentation
• Regulatory and Compliance
• Bill of Materials (BOM)
• Product Data
• Change and Configurations
• Quality
• Suppliers

11. https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Amazon+Echo+Dot+Teardown/61304

13. • 90-00123 Finished Good
• 81-00234 Packaging, outer box
• 82-00345 Printed paper manual
• 80-00456 USB power adapter Product Assembly
• 20-00567 Plastic case
• 31-00678 PCBA
• 30-00789 PCB
• <ICs, resistors, caps, …>
• 83-00891 USB cable
• 80-00912 Product Assembly
• 20-000123 Outer plastic case
• 70-000234 Bottom sub-assembly
• 17-00345 Cast metal weight
• 50-001631 Speaker
• 31-00456 Bottom PCBA
• 30-001678 Bottom PCB
• <ICs, resistors, caps, …>
• 70-000567 Top sub-assembly
• 20-000678 Encoder wheel
• 20-000789 Encoder ring
• 70-000891 Top moulding sub-assembly
• 20-00987 Button 1
• 20-00876 Button2
• 15-00765 Rubber bottom pad
• 26-00654 Torx Screws
• 29-00543 Glue pad ** made up part
numbers used here 

14. • 90-00123-R4 Finished Good
• 81-00234-R3 Packaging, outer box
• 82-00345-R9 Printed paper manual
• 80-00456-R2 USB power adapter Product Assembly
• 20-00567-R3 Plastic case
• 31-00678-R8 PCBA
• 30-00789-R2 PCB
• <ICs, resistors, caps, …>
• 83-00891-R3 USB cable
• 80-00912-R9 Product Assembly
• 20-000123-R4 Outer plastic case
• 70-000234-R2 Bottom sub-assembly
• 17-00345-R3 Cast metal weight
• 50-001631-R2 Speaker
• 31-00456-R12 Bottom PCBA
• 30-001678-R12 Bottom PCB
• <ICs, resistors, caps, …>
• 70-000567-R5 Top sub-assembly
• 20-000678-R7 Encoder wheel
• 20-000789-R3 Encoder ring
• 70-000891-R4 Top moulding sub-assembly
• 20-00987-R4 Button 1
• 20-00876-R4 Button2
• 15-00765-R3 Rubber bottom pad
• 26-00654-R2 Torx Screws
• 29-00543-R5 Glue pad ** made up part
numbers used here 

15. ECO / ECN
Engineering Change Order / Engineering Change Notice
• Standardised mechanism to issue changes to designs and processes
• Provides a record of all changes during the lifecycle of a product
• ECO records can be mandatory as per regulatory approval rules
• Gets more costly as design moves through product lifecycle

16. Component Lifecycle

17. Manufacturing Timeline

18. Manufacturing Timeline
Proto EVT DVT PVT (Ramp) MP

19. EVT, DVT/EP, PVT/PP, MP/VP
Engineering Validation Test / Engineering Pilot
Design Validation Test
Production Validation Test / Production Pilot
Mass Production / Volume Production
https://www.instrumental.com/blog/2016/11/14/hardware-engineers-speak-in-code-evt-dvt-pvt-decoded

20. Manufacturing Timeline
• Skipping phases risky given costs associated with mistakes
• Non-recurring Engineering (NRE) fees: Tooling for plastics and PCB, stencils for PCBA, …
• Overrun and scrap material costs
• Dependencies can easily become a nightmare if not planned for accordingly
• Auxiliary activities may depend on completion of a particular phase
• Inter-phase dependencies and “line availability” needs firm commitments
• Procurement/Sourcing and quantities mismatch will hold up manufacturing
• Lead times differ for plastics, PCBs, components, printed materials…
• …No “Prime” delivery option available, in most cases 

21. 深圳速度
Shēnzhèn sùdù

22. Procurement/Sourcing

23. MOQ, SPQ, L/T, U/P
Minimum Order Quantity
Standard Packaging Quantity
Lead Time
Unit Price
• At volume quantities, you shouldn’t rely purely on Western distributors
• Shipping parts to China will almost always create Customs and Tax problems
• Lead times can be surprising and become major headaches
• Local knowledge/expertise critical

26. The Manufacturing Line

27. Station 1
Station 2
Station N
Parts
Equipment
SOP
Parts
Equipment
SOP Parts
Equipment
SOP

29. SOP
Standard Operating Procedure
• Well defined set of instructions per station, for operator to follow
• No error margin for ambiguity!
• Probably best reviewed/prepared by the manufacturer

30. ATE & DUT / UUT / EUT
Automated Test Equipment
(Device / Unit / Equipment) Under Test
• Specialised set of tools, hardware, software to automate the process of testing
devices being manufactured
• Performs electrical checks, RF testing/tuning/calibration, firmware burning,
security certificate provision…
• Speed and parallel execution important factors for cost

38. Line Tracking/Monitoring
RFID/NFC Tag
QR Code / 2D Barcode

39. MES
Manufacturing Execution System
• Used by the manufacturing partner to keep track of a manufacturing order
• Parts, line/worker allocations, build scheduling, …
• Tracks serial numbers, fault/rework reports, line rate, …
• Can be used to keep record of critical part lot codes, silicon revision, …
• Advanced systems allow integration with customer internal processes

41. Thanks, any questions?
Ping me @OmerK