Advanced Electronics Manufacturing Companies: Exploring Their Roles

Opting for the replacement of faulty or damaged circuit boards is often the most cost-effective method for prolonging the life of industrial and commercial electronics. An advanced electronics manufacturing company can cater to a wide range of your business requirements, including:

• PCB board repair
• PCB troubleshooting
• Industrial cable repair
• Wire assembly repair
• Harness assembly repair
• Much more

Debunking the myth: pcb repairs as a cost-effective alternative to replacement

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are sensitive to the point where it seems risky to breathe near one. While that’s not true, a single resistor failure can cause an entire product to fail.

Often, businesses assume they have to buy a new board to get their machine up and running again -- but this may not be the case. You can probably find PCB repair services near you that fix the board for a fraction of the replacement cost.

Electronics remanufacturing companies typically work with OEMs in industries like:

• Power generation
• Public transportation
• Oil and gas
• Meters
• Auto manufacturing
• Heavy industrial equipment
• Heavy press operators
  
  

Benefits of Remanufacturing Electronics

We know that repairs are cheaper than replacement orders. Let’s go a little deeper than that to see what powers remanufacturing services:

1. Middle-market companies often can’t afford to invest in new products. If that sounds like your OEM, remember that you can use remanufacturing for your legacy product without starting from scratch. Products with few electronic components to them probably aren’t worth scrapping altogether when a few simple fixes will suffice.
   
   
2. You often can get remanufacturing services from a contractor even if you didn’t purchase the original product. Just double-check with the contractor to make sure that’s true.
   
   
3. You can prolong the life cycle of equipment in the field. Aftermarket services can minimize downtime and keep the revenue flowing. Public transportation is a perfect example -- it can take decades to have enough funding to replace aging infrastructure, not to mention the time and inconvenience. Wouldn’t it make more sense to add 10 years to the current system with some upgrades?
   
   
4. You can lower your warranty expenses by making repairs instead of using a new product or scrapping the old stuff.
   
   
5. The remanufacturer will log every repair, which makes it possible to conduct a failure analysis. Discovering what is failing so you can re-engineer for the next generation is just smart business.
   
   
6. You can reduce the environmental impact of your operation by limiting your e-waste.

Types of Electronics Repair Services

There are a lot of circuits to take to get around a problem with electronics. Sometimes the contractor recommends a combination of services.

A supplier’s cable, wire, and PCB repair techniques can include:

Refurbishing & System Rebuilds

Industrial machines cost millions of dollars and have a limited amount of electronics. When those electronics fail, PCB refurbishment and/or system rebuilds make the most sense. 

You can rebuild the whole machine for less than it would cost you to replace it. The right aftermarket services provider can improve quality and cut turnaround times, too.

Repairs

Electronic board repair services can be used to fix damaged:

• Components
• Assemblies
• Enclosures

A good repair company can take your broken PCBs and return them good as new. This repair process not only saves you from the expense of replacing the entire circuit board, but also promotes sustainability by reducing electronic waste and the need for new resources.

Troubleshooting

Encountering issues with a product can be puzzling, making it difficult to identify and address the problem. Luckily, an aftermarket electronics repair company can effortlessly diagnose the issue at hand, even when you lack the Gerber files or have previously attempted unsuccessful repairs. These specialists are well-equipped to handle such challenging situations.

By pinpointing and replacing the failing component, the repair company helps you avoid the need to purchase entirely new circuit boards, saving both time and resources in the process.

Upgrades

Many electronics need periodic updates -- that necessary evil isn’t changing anytime soon. It could be a software update, a product recall, or some other situation where you must ensure your product is optimized.

An electronics remanufacturing company should be able to identify required or recommended upgrades and to make sure those upgrades are completed correctly.

PCB Testing

Companies that manufacture and repair aftermarket electronics generally can test your electronic components. There are many PCB testing methods, and the scope of those services varies by contractor.

If you need testing done -- especially if you’re a regular customer -- you can easily get your remanufacturer to:

• Test components to make sure they are functioning properly to an OEM standard
• Test components after any repair and/or upgrade work is done
• Make sure components meet specs and are plug-and-play (usable right out of the box)

Recalibration

Sometimes products that have been out in the field for a while no longer adhere to their required tolerances. These products need to be recalibrated to make sure the intended output of the product is within the right specs.

Electronic recalibration services ensure that equipment:

• Is safe
• Has a long life cycle
• Doesn’t fail catastrophically, causing major expenses
  
  

More on PCB Testing & Prototyping

Aftermarket electronics services are a case of spreading out painful expenses vs. taking one huge lump all at once. For most industries, that’s a more cost-sensible way of operating.

To learn more about the testing side of aftermarket electronics manufacturing services, check out the free e-book below:

Editor's Note: This blog was originally published in July 2020 and was recently updated.