Notes for hardware teams heading to production.
Practical answers on the steps, quotes, minimum orders, tooling and certification between a working prototype and a first production run.
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How do you make an electronics enclosure waterproof (IP67) for production?
How to make an electronics enclosure waterproof (IP67) for production: what IP codes mean, whether you need a lab test, gaskets versus ultrasonic welding and overmolded seals, sealing ports and buttons, why a vent matters, production air leak testing and a worked example.
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Which plastic is best for an electronics enclosure: ABS, PC/ABS, polycarbonate, nylon or polypropylene?
ABS, PC/ABS, polycarbonate, polypropylene, ASA, glass-filled nylon and PBT, acrylic and TPU compared for electronics enclosures: strengths, weaknesses, heat, UL 94 flame ratings under 62368-1, cracking from disinfectant wipes, outdoor use, molding and a worked example.
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Which US tests does an electronic product need before you sell it: FCC, UL, batteries and children's products?
Which US tests and certifications an electronic product needs as of November 2026: FCC Part 15, radio modules and the Bluetooth listing, UL safety listings, lithium batteries, children's products and chargers, with costs, timing and what to do if you fail.
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Sheet metal, aluminum extrusion or CNC: which metal electronics enclosure fits a first production run?
Sheet metal, aluminum extrusion, CNC machining or die casting for a metal electronics enclosure: tooling, lead times and minimum orders by quantity, what changes for radio, grounding and heat, finishes, tariffs and a worked example.
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Who buys the parts for a first production run, and which ones have to be made for you?
Turnkey, consigned or partial turnkey: who buys each part of a first production run, which parts must be custom made, and how minimums and NCNR orders tie up cash.
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Where does unit cost drop on a second production run, and which cuts pay off?
Where unit cost drops on a second production run with no change, which cost-down changes to molds, boards and batteries pay off, and what can cost more.
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What's actually in a production quote, and what "per unit" leaves out
What a production quote includes, what per unit leaves out, and how to compare ODM, contract manufacturer and delivered duty paid quotes on landed cost per good unit.
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What should you send a manufacturer for a quote, if your design isn't locked down yet?
What to include in a request for quote (RFQ) when your design isn't final: what a budgetary estimate needs, what a firm quote needs, and what can stay open.
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What falls between suppliers in a first production run, and who should own it
In a first production run, each supplier owns its own part and nobody owns the assembled product: the handoffs where runs slip, and who should own each one.
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US tariffs on electronics from China, Korea, Vietnam and Mexico (October 2026): how to work out your duty
US tariffs on electronics from China, Korea, Vietnam and Mexico as of October 2026: how duty is calculated, which tariffs stack, how country of origin is decided, and a worked example.
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How do you ship your first production run from the factory to your customers?
How to ship a first production run from Asia to US customers: express, air or shared-container ocean freight, forwarders and customs brokers, 2026 lithium battery rules, 3PLs, Amazon FBA, backers, packing, insurance and timing.
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How do you inspect a first production run before it ships?
How to inspect a first production run before it ships: inspection stages (FAI, DUPRO, PSI), AQL sample sizes and what AQL 2.5 means, an electronics checklist, third-party inspection cost, and what to do if a lot fails.
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Most factories say they're at capacity. Where can a small hardware team get bids?
Why contract manufacturers say they're at capacity, which shops take small runs with low or no minimum order, where to find them, and how many quotes to expect.
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Your prototype runs on an Arduino, ESP32 or Raspberry Pi. What changes when you move to a custom PCB for production?
Moving an Arduino, ESP32 or Raspberry Pi prototype to a custom production PCB: what the dev board was doing for you, module vs bare chip, Compute Modules, firmware, licensing, cost and time.
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Aluminum or steel injection molds for a first production run: which fits, and when should you switch?
Aluminum vs steel injection molds for a first production run: shot life, SPI class, cost and lead time, when aluminum first pays, when to start in steel, and when and how to switch.
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How to choose a partner to take your hardware into production
How to choose a product development firm, contract manufacturer, ODM or full-build partner for your hardware: the checks, the warning signs and the questions to ask.
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100 to 1,000 units: bridge tooling, urethane casting or machining?
For 100 to 1,000 plastic parts: when 3D printing, urethane casting, CNC machining or an aluminum bridge mold is the cheapest, and what besides cost decides it.
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After your Kickstarter: six things to decide before you pick a factory
Six things to decide after a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign before you choose a factory: quantities, the final design, where you ship, the kind of partner, landed cost and the backer delivery date.
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Moving from a 3D-printed prototype to injection molding: what has to change in the design
How to redesign a 3D-printed prototype for injection molding: the plastic, walls, draft, ribs, undercuts, corners, joints and mold marks, plus the files a molder needs to quote.
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From working prototype to first production run: next steps for a hardware product
The next steps, in order, from a working hardware prototype to the first few hundred units: targets, parts, DFM, a test build, quotes, tooling, a pilot run and production.
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An ODM quoted a 2,000-unit MOQ, but we need 500. What are our options?
What a 2,000-unit MOQ is paying for, five ways to make 500 units instead, who makes runs that small, and how to tell whether 500 units add up.