- Buyers Guide
SemiGen white paper discusses advantages of keeping assembly onshore
SemiGen, Inc. announced that its white paper on contract manufacturing, “The Advantages of Outsourcing Your RF/Microwave Assembly to an Onshore Contractor,” is now available for download at www.semigen.net.
While the outsourcing of manufacturing occurs across a broad spectrum of industries and offers distinct advantages to OEMs, the outsourcing decision for RF/Microwave (RF/MW) companies involves a unique set of circumstances when compared to conventional digital electronics. For example, RF/MW manufacturing and testing often requires more precisely defined procedures, as well as more precise tools, than digital electronics.
The SemiGen white paper first details the key advantages offered by outsourcing in general, then discusses the unique circumstances faced by RF/MW manufacturers. The paper makes the case that, due to shifting economic and technological landscapes, outsourcing RF/MW manufacturing overseas no longer delivers the advantages of economy and quality as effectively as onshore outsourcing. The reasons for this, as discussed in the paper, include:
1. The steadily diminishing cost gap between outsourcing to China and manufacturing in the U.S.
2. The unique nature of RF manufacturing makes it challenging to transfer the complex RF/MW process to an overseas contract manufacturer with its often-accompanying language difficulties.
3. Outsourcing to a domestic manufacturer greatly reduces travel expenses on the part of the OEM and eliminates the need to ship U.S.-specific equipment overseas.
4. Onshore outsourcing significantly lowers the risks of losing proprietary information, a danger inherent when dealing with the limited intellectual property protection offered by developing countries.
For a full copy of the white paper, “The Advantages of Outsourcing your RF/Microwave Assembly to an Onshore Contractor,” please visit: www.semigen.net.