Help, I Need a Custom Remote Control for My Product! (Part 3)

Material Procurement

Now that the final engineering samples have been approved, development is considered to be complete. The final stage of the product development process is manufacturing. The standard lead time for the production custom remote control products is 4-8 weeks. The majority of this time is sourcing materials for the final assembly process. Plastic resin is injected into steel molds to create the plastic enclosures for the remote control. Colored silicone sheets are used to create custom rubber keypads. Electronic components like microcontrollers, capacitors, resistors, and LEDs are ordered from suppliers and will be used for PCB assembly.

Incoming Quality Control and Inspection

All of Celadon’s production facilities are ISO 9001 certified (https://www.iso.org/standard/62085.html) to ensure consistency and quality for all products. Initially, all of the production materials that are delivered to our factory will go through a Incoming Quality Control (IQC) inspection. These parts are then inspected and compared against the approved specifications and sample components. Colors are verified using color books (https://www.pantone.com/color-systems/for-graphic-design) or approved samples, while plastic parts are inspected for defects and consistency. Materials that pass our IQC process will be allowed into the manufacturing area and materials that do not pass will be quarantined and will then returned to the vendor for reworking or replacement, depending on the nature of the failure.

PCB Assembly

Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are fabricated and electronic components are placed on the boards through an automated process using pick and place machines, automatic optical inspection (AOI), and finally a solder reflow oven. The microcontroller on the PCBA can be either programmed on a specialized firmware programming fixture or be programmed after final assembly. However, all printed circuit boards will go through an In-Circuit Testing (ICT) process to verify the components on the boards are functioning properly.

Final Assembly, Testing and Shipping

Final assembly is performed at our factory on an assembly line. Each station is responsible for the various stages of assembly ranging from initially inserting the PCBA into the enclosure, placing the rubber keypad on top of the PCBA and then attaching the top case. All products are tested using an electronic test fixture to insure they are functioning properly. All products are also visually inspected to insure they meet all cosmetic requirements. Our Quality Control (QC) staff is responsible for testing and maintaining all inspection records. Depending on the packaging requirements, finished product will be packed in gift boxes, clam shells or standard bulk packaging. Products shipping by ocean freight will be palletized and products shipping via air freight will typically ship in export cartons. Product can ship to any global location utilizing our network of freight fowarders and incoterms (https://www.trade.gov/know-your-incoterms) ranging from FOB Korea to DDP can be accomodated.