What Every Engineer Should Know About Contract Manufacturers

Being an Engineer · 7 Jul 2025 · 1m

What this episode covers

The episode serves as a promotional announcement for a free online webinar featuring Justin Bushko, principal at MedTech Manufacturing, who discusses common mistakes engineers make during design transfer and production handoff. The host encourages engineers working with contract manufacturers or scaling products from prototype to production to register for the session to gain practical advice and avoid costly delays. The show also highlights its archive of over 300 episodes, suggesting listeners search by topic for relevant engineering challenges.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Amp Hour · 1h 28m

    Merry Keyzermas!

    Chris Gammell, an engineer at Valve, discusses the high-volume manufacturing of the Steam Controller, detailing the transition from prototype to a massive automated assembly line in Illinois. He explains the engineering challenges of designing for production variation, such as component tolerances and temperature-sensitive magnets, and the complexities of designing for automation. Gammell also shares insights from his frequent trips to China for PCB assembly, emphasizing the importance of a portable 'China kit' and rapid quality control processes.

  • Product Startup · 24m

    196: Common Gaps Being Ready for Manufacturing

    Laura Teicher, President of Forge, explains how hardware startups often fail in their first manufacturing run due to over-engineering or under-engineering prototypes, assuming contract manufacturers will fix design flaws. She emphasizes the necessity of Design for Manufacturing (DFM) to simplify products and complete rigorous documentation, including Bills of Materials and CAD files, before engaging suppliers. Teicher advises startups to be honest about their readiness level when approaching manufacturers, leveraging Forge’s network of innovation-friendly suppliers to avoid burning relationships with premature or unprepared outreach.

  • Product Startup · 15m

    221: How to Go from Prototype to First Manufacturing Run

    Keenan Wyrobek, Co-Founder and CTO of Zipline, explains the critical transition from prototyping to the first manufacturing run, emphasizing that design changes must cease once the architecture is frozen. He advocates for deep collaboration with manufacturing vendors, suggesting that designers work side-by-side with vendors to build relationships that survive inevitable production challenges. Wyrobek highlights the importance of a comprehensive design manufacturing pack and iterative testing to achieve reliability, especially in safety-critical systems with tight margins.

  • Product Startup · 27m

    142: Preparing Your Product for Manufacturing Overseas

    Mike Deigan, Vice President at Global Link Sourcing, explains that inventors must provide a design ready for manufacturing, including detailed engineering and electronics footprints, rather than just a visual concept. He contrasts the risks of sourcing directly via Alibaba—where traders, quality issues, and payment terms create disaster—with the safety and expertise of using established agencies. Deigan emphasizes that proper design for manufacturing (DFM) requires 80% of the effort on engineering and prototyping to avoid costly errors and ensure a viable product.

  • Embedded.fm · 51m

    25: Thunderdome for Antennas

    Jen Costillo, founder of a hardware startup, discusses the challenges of moving from prototyping to manufacturing a tiny wireless consumer device with three antennas. She details the 'garbage in, garbage out' risks of working with contract manufacturers, specifically focusing on the difficulties of antenna integration, conductive epoxy application, and soldering large ground planes. Costillo also explains the new product development stages (EVT, DVT, PVT) and the critical importance of rigorous manufacturing test coverage to avoid costly recalls.

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