New UK based global electronics manufacturer
The acquisition last year of UK based Briton EMS by the US electronics manufacturing provider OSI Electronics has turned Briton EMS into a global electronics manufacturer – for in addition to its two sites in Bedford, the company has direct access to manufacturing plants in Indonesia, Malaysia and the USA.
“This gives UK customers several important benefits,” says Peter Towler, business development manager of Briton EMS. “Keeping NPI development in the UK speeds time to market, removes the fear of losing intellectual property protection and, with no time zones or language barriers, fast updates of prototypes.
“And when sales justify higher production levels and Far East manufacture becomes economic, we can offer seamless transfer to OSI group-owned manufacturing facilities in Indonesia and Malaysia.
“All the design, development and initial production can be done in the UK, with on-going low and medium volume production. But when volumes develop further, manufacture can continue under Briton EMS’ control in the Far East,” Towler said.
“It enables product security and confidentially to be maintained if manufacturing in a lower cost area is necessary to meet market demand – and is ideal for locally managed NPI (new product introduction) projects to migrate with confidence to a lower cost facility.”
In addition to Far East production bases, Briton EMS’ parent company has manufacturing plants in California. The majority of its plants are certified AS9100 for aerospace, defence and military work and ISO 13485 for medical and life sciences – which the UK company will also soon acquire.
“This is another area where we can help UK companies to develop and trial AS9100 products and medical prototypes,” Towler commented. “Working with our UK design partner 42 Technology, specialist components can be designed such as hybrid electronics and potted sensors for use in harsh environments – including vibration, temperature and solvents.”
Established in 1979, Briton EMS is a full EMS service provider and the outsource manufacturing partner for over 30 companies, making electronic products on their behalf ranging from life critical and high security devices to sports industry, broadcast and infrastructure products.
RF and full functional testing are major strengths in the UK – and new commodities, including multi-chip modules, hybrids and complex harness assemblies, are available through its new overseas facilities.