Short answer: A Swedish cleantech startup developing sustainable technology products needed to bring its electronics manufacturing cost down without compromising performance or the environmental considerations the product is built on. Comtec Labs worked through the design with the customer: component optimisation to take unnecessary cost out of the BOM, more efficient PCB layouts that use board area and panel space better, and production planning aligned with the company's sustainability goals. The outcome was a manufacturing cost per unit reduced by over 20 %, achieved through engineering rather than by cutting quality.
A Swedish cleantech startup developing sustainable technology products needed cost-efficient electronics manufacturing without compromising performance or environmental considerations.
Comtec Labs supported the customer through component optimization, efficient PCB layouts, and production planning aligned with sustainability goals.
HIGHLIGHTS
Manufacturing cost per unit reduced by over 20%
Key facts
- Manufacturing cost per unit was reduced by over 20 %.
- Savings came from component optimisation and more efficient PCB layouts, not from lower quality.
- Production planning was aligned with the customer's sustainability goals.
- Cost efficiency and environmental considerations were treated as one design problem, not a trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
How does component optimisation reduce PCB manufacturing cost?
By replacing costly or hard-to-source parts with standard alternatives of equal performance, consolidating part numbers across the BOM and choosing packages that assemble reliably with high yield, which cuts both material and rework cost.
What makes a PCB layout efficient to manufacture?
Good panel utilisation, component placement that suits automated assembly, test access designed in from the start, and avoiding features that need extra process steps; we review all of this in a DFM pass before the layout is frozen.
Can you align production with our sustainability goals?
Yes. We plan batch sizes to avoid waste and excess inventory, prefer long-lifecycle components that keep the product repairable and buildable, and keep production in Finland, close to Nordic customers.
Do you work with startups as well as established companies?
Yes. Startups get the same engineering review as larger customers; we support them from first prototypes to series production and help keep unit cost under control as volumes grow.
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