Short answer: Choose an EMS partner on five criteria in this order: (1) technical fit — the same lines build your prototype and your series, with SMT, THT, coating and test in-house; (2) quality system — IPC-A-610 trained staff, AOI on every board, ISO 9001 processes, class 3 capability when you need it; (3) sourcing — they buy components with alternates and manage allocation for you; (4) traceability and communication — lot-level traceability, one named contact, DFM feedback with every quote; and (5) total cost, including NRE, logistics and your own engineering time. A Nordic partner wins on items 1–4 and is usually cost-neutral on 5 for volumes up to a few thousand units a year.
The 12 questions
| # | Question | The answer you want |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Do prototypes and series run on the same production lines? | Yes: the prototype is the process qualification, no re-industrialisation later. |
| 2 | Is a DFM review included with every quote? | Yes, findings in writing before the first board is built. |
| 3 | Which IPC-A-610 class do you build to, and can you do class 3? | Class 2 standard, class 3 on request with documented process control. |
| 4 | What inspection and test do you run on every board? | AOI as standard; X-ray for BGAs; flying probe or ICT; functional test to your spec. |
| 5 | Do you source components, and how do you handle allocation? | Full turnkey sourcing, approved alternates proposed in the quote, buffer stock by agreement. |
| 6 | What traceability do I get? | Lot and date-code traceability per board; serial-level on request; MSL and profile records. |
| 7 | Can you coat, pot and box-build? | Automated selective coating in-house; box-build and cable assembly available. |
| 8 | Who is my contact and how fast do you answer? | One named engineer-level contact; quotes in 1–2 working days. |
| 9 | What happens when a part goes end-of-life? | Proactive notice, alternate proposal, last-time-buy support. |
| 10 | How do you handle design changes mid-series? | Formal ECO process with revision control on BOM, program and test. |
| 11 | Where is the factory and can I visit? | Vaasa, Finland; visits and audits welcome. |
| 12 | What is the total cost, including NRE, freight and my time? | Itemised quote; NRE separate; logistics quoted for your delivery point. |
Why the Nordics
For industrial, medical, marine and energy electronics the decisive factors are engineering communication, short iteration loops and dependable quality, not the labour rate on the assembly line. A partner two hours away, in your time zone and language, with the same lines for prototypes and series, removes the cost of distance: travel, rework, buffer inventory and slow answers.
Key facts
- Components dominate unit cost (typically 60–75 %), so the labour-rate difference matters less than sourcing skill.
- One DFM finding caught before build typically saves one full prototype iteration.
- Comtec Labs: PCB design, prototyping, SMT/THT assembly, testing, coating and series production under one roof in Vaasa, Finland.
- Trusted by Mente Marine, ETSS and Sensinite among others.
How Comtec Labs answers these questions
We build prototypes and series on the same lines, review every quote for manufacturability, inspect every board with AOI, source components with alternates, coat with an automated selective coating line and give you one engineering contact. Send us your file set and judge the answers for yourself.
Frequently asked questions
What does EMS mean?
Electronics manufacturing services: a partner that builds your electronics — PCB assembly, testing, coating, box-build — from your design files, often including component sourcing.
Should I split prototypes and series between two suppliers?
Usually not. Re-industrialising a product at a second factory costs a full qualification round and loses the process knowledge gained in prototyping.
How many EMS quotes should I request?
Two or three, with identical file sets and the same quantities, then compare NRE, unit price and what is included in test and inspection.
Does Comtec Labs work with startups?
Yes. Many customers start with a single prototype run and grow into series production on the same line.
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