Short answer: Outsourced electronics design with Comtec Labs runs in five steps: an NDA and a fixed-price concept study (1–3 weeks) that delivers architecture, risks, a development estimate and a unit-cost forecast; a development agreement under which you own the resulting IP (schematics, layout, firmware source, documentation); design sprints with milestones for schematic, layout, firmware and prototypes, each with a review you approve; prototypes built and verified on our own production lines; and a transition to series production with a unit price, traceability and change control. Costs are engineering hours per milestone plus prototype material, quoted up front; production is quoted per unit.
The engagement, step by step
| Step | What you get | Commercial basis |
|---|---|---|
| 1. NDA and concept study | Requirements review, architecture, key component choices, risk list, development estimate, unit-cost forecast | Fixed price, 1–3 weeks |
| 2. Development agreement | IP ownership to you, milestones, acceptance criteria, change procedure, confidentiality | Signed before design starts |
| 3. Design sprints | Schematic review, layout with DFM, firmware increments, BOM with alternates, test specification | Hours per milestone, quoted in advance |
| 4. Prototypes and verification | Boards built on production lines, bring-up, functional and environmental tests, issue list, revision | Prototype material + assembly |
| 5. Series production | Pilot batch, production against forecast, test and traceability, engineering change control | Unit price, NRE separate |
What you own and what you receive
- Schematics and layout in your CAD format (or ours, exported), Gerber/ODB++, BOM with approved alternates.
- Firmware source in a repository with build system, tests and documentation.
- Test specifications, factory test software and fixture drawings.
- Verification reports, EMC pre-compliance results, technical documentation for CE.
- Production data: programme, stencil design, panel, work instructions, so you are never locked in.
How the cost model works
Development is quoted per milestone in engineering hours with a not-to-exceed figure; changes to scope go through a written change request with a price before work continues. Prototype material is passed through at cost plus assembly. Production is a unit price against forecast, with NRE (stencil, fixtures, programming) as separate lines. There are no licence fees on the design and no obligation to manufacture with us, although the same team building the series is the reason the model works.
How we communicate
- One named engineer as your contact, with the layout, firmware and production engineers reachable directly.
- A shared issue tracker and weekly status during development.
- Design reviews at each milestone, with your approval before the next starts.
- Site visits and audits welcome in Vaasa, Finland.
Key facts
- Concept study: fixed price, 1–3 weeks, gives you the development estimate and unit-cost forecast before you commit.
- IP ownership: yours, under the development agreement.
- Deliverables include production data, so you are never locked to one factory.
- Comtec Labs customers include Mente Marine, ETSS and Sensinite.
Is outsourcing right for your product?
It is when your team's value is in the application, the customer and the market rather than in electronics manufacturing engineering, when volumes are tens to thousands per year, and when time to market matters more than building an in-house hardware team. Send us a description of the product and we return a concept study proposal within a week.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns the IP in an outsourced design?
You do. The development agreement assigns schematics, layout, firmware and documentation to you; Comtec Labs retains only its general know-how and pre-existing libraries, which you receive a licence to use in the product.
How do you price development?
Per milestone in engineering hours with a not-to-exceed figure, after a fixed-price concept study that sets the estimate.
Can we take the design to another manufacturer later?
Yes. You receive the full production data. In practice customers stay because the prototype and series lines are the same.
How long does a typical project take?
Concept study 1–3 weeks; development to verified prototype 3–6 months; pilot and series thereafter, depending on certification scope.
Ready to reduce PCB surprises?
Comtec Labs offers a full suite of services to streamline your workflow:
PCB design service
PCB prototyping service
PCB component sourcing
PCB component assembly
PCB testing service
PCB repair and modifications
Printed circuit board production
PCB mass production