Questions we get asked a lot

Electronic products, from an early idea right through to production. We work across consumer electronics, automotive, cosmetics, industrial and high-reliability products. We do product design, electronics, firmware and manufacturing, so we can take on the whole project or just the part you need help with.

No. Plenty of our projects start with a sketch and a conversation. Working out the specification with you is what our Discovery & Research stage is for.

Because it's the best way to make sure we're all aiming at the same thing before the more expensive work starts. In a couple of weeks we scope the project, research the market and technology, check the idea is feasible, and pin down what you really want and need from the product. You come away with a clear plan, the main risks, and an accurate fixed quote for the next stages, so there are no surprises later. It's available on its own as the S29 Sprint, from £4,500 + VAT. See how we work for what happens at each stage.

Yes. We'll review it for manufacture first and flag anything likely to cause problems in production, then quote for the build.

Developing hardware always carries some risk, but most of it can be managed if you deal with it early. Here's how we do it:

• We test the riskiest part of the idea first, with a proof-of-principle prototype, before spending money on the rest.
• We work closely with a supply chain we know well, and bring key suppliers in early on critical parts.
• We research the market for components, checking availability, lead times and lifecycle so you're not designing around a part that's about to go obsolete.
• We dual source key components wherever we can, so one supplier can't hold up production.
• We plan compliance from early on and run pre-compliance testing, so certification doesn't throw up surprises at the end.
• We carry out FMEA and design-for-manufacture reviews before production.
• We build prototypes on the same SMT line we use for production, so there are fewer surprises when volumes go up.
• Every stage ends with a review, so you can change direction or stop before committing more money.

Our design studio and production facility are in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, and you're welcome to visit. If that's a long way for you, we can meet in London (Paddington) or Waterlooville in Hampshire, or online. See our contact page for addresses.

Yes. We partner on Innovate UK and other grant-funded projects as the design and manufacturing partner. Our staged process, with clear deliverables at the end of each stage, fits well with funders' milestones and reporting.

Get in touch and tell us a bit about the product. We'll arrange a call or meeting, then send you an estimate broken down stage by stage. We're open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.

We quote every project individually, as a fixed price for each stage. As a guide, a Discovery workshop starts from £1,500 + VAT, the S29 Sprint from £4,500 + VAT and the S29 Accelerator, from idea to working prototype, from £35,000 + VAT. Most Accelerator projects come in between £40,000 and £50,000. Your estimate sets out what's included in each stage, with lead times and any materials or compliance costs, so you can see where the money goes.

Each stage is invoiced separately when you ask us to start it. You never commit to the whole project up front.

Yes. Every stage ends with a review and demo, and you decide whether to carry on. Everything delivered up to that point is yours.

Each stage is a fixed price, based on the assumptions set out in your estimate. If the scope changes or something extra turns up, we'll talk it through with you and agree any extra cost before going ahead.

Yes. Every project starts with a free conversation. After that, the lightest step is a Discovery workshop, from £1,500 + VAT: a half or full day with your team, followed by a short written summary with our view on feasibility, a ballpark budget and recommended next steps. If you go ahead with a Sprint or the Accelerator, we credit the workshop fee against it.

The next step up is the S29 Sprint, from £4,500 + VAT. It's our two-week Discovery & Research stage, and you get a clear scope, an early concept, an estimated unit cost, the main risks and a fixed quote for what comes next. See how the stages fit together.

You do. All IP created in a stage becomes yours once that stage has been paid for.

Yes. We're happy to sign one before you share any details of your idea. Just tick the mutual NDA box on our enquiry form.

Yes. The design files are yours, and we'd rather earn your production work than lock you in. That said, we'd love to build it for you.

They're the three levels of prototype we build. P0 proves the core technology works, usually on the bench rather than in its final form. P1 brings everything together into a working, representative product. P2 is the pre-production version, made in the right materials with the final electronics, and it's what we sign off before production.

We pick the method that suits the stage and what the prototype needs to prove.

• In-house 3D printing: a range of new FDM and SLA printers. FDM is quick and low cost for early form and fit, and SLA gives a fine, smooth finish for detailed parts and presentation models.
• CNC machining: through trusted partners, for strong, accurate parts in production plastics and metals.
• Vacuum casting: through partners, for small batches of parts that look and feel like the final moulding.
• Low-cost rapid injection moulding: through partners, for pilot runs and early production in the real material, without committing to full production tooling.

Because the 3D printing is in-house, we can turn round prototype iterations quickly, often in a day or two.

P1 prototypes are developed to a good level of fit and function. They work, and they show the product well enough to put in front of investors or customers. They're usually 3D printed, and the electronics aren't fully miniaturised yet. Final materials, cost-down and certification come later.

We agree that with you for each project, based on what you need them for. Testing, demos and investor meetings all need different numbers.

From around three months from first meeting to P1 prototypes, depending on how complex the product is and on lead times for any custom parts. Our S29 Accelerator is set up to do exactly this.

Yes. We start with a compliance strategy review to work out which tests your product needs for the markets you're selling into. We then run pre-compliance testing so problems are found and fixed early, work with accredited test houses on formal certification, and help you put the technical file together.

Early. Fixing an EMC or safety problem on a prototype is far cheaper than fixing it on a finished design, so we build it into the process from the integrated prototype stage onwards.

We're ISO 9001 certified but not currently ISO 13485 certified, so please talk to us early if you're developing a medical device and we'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.

Yes. As well as designing products, we're a contract electronics manufacturer (CEM). We can take on existing designs and build them for customers, from PCB assembly through to final mechanical assembly and full box build.

A complete data pack lets us quote quickly and get the build right first time. Please send:

• Gerber files (RS-274X or ODB++) for every layer, plus drill files
• A fabrication drawing with board thickness, material, finish, copper weight, layer stack-up and any special requirements
• A pick-and-place (XY centroid) file with reference designators, X and Y positions, rotation and board side
• A bill of materials in Excel, with reference designators, quantity per board, and the manufacturer and manufacturer part number for every line, plus any approved alternatives. Please mark any parts that shouldn't be fitted.
• An assembly drawing showing polarity and orientation, and any special notes
• The quantities you need, your target lead time, and whether you'll be supplying any parts yourself

For box build, please add mechanical drawings or 3D models, assembly instructions and any test requirements. Missing something? Send what you have and we'll tell you what else we need.

Our Essemtec Fox pick-and-place handles boards up to 406 × 305 mm (16 × 12 in). Smaller boards can be panelised so they're quicker and cheaper to build.

The Fox places everything from tiny 0201 passives (0.6 × 0.3 mm) up to large components of around 80 × 80 mm, including fine-pitch QFPs and BGAs. Even smaller parts may be possible, depending on the design. Placement accuracy is ±40 µm for chip components and ±30 µm for QFPs (3σ), so dense, fine-pitch boards aren't a problem.

Yes. Our Essemtec system can dispense solder for BGA reballing, using approved solders and fluxes from SolderKing. That means we can rework BGA devices and recover valuable parts rather than replace them.

Yes. Our Essemtec VSR-MV screw-valve dispenser applies solder paste, adhesives and other materials precisely. For prototypes and small batches it means we can often skip the stencil altogether, saving you time and cost.

Yes. As well as standard lead-free solder, we use low-temperature lead-free solder paste for heat-sensitive components and assemblies.

Yes. Our rapid-turn NPI (new product introduction) service builds prototype and pre-production boards on the same SMT line we use for production, in as little as 3 days and up to 2 weeks, depending on the complexity of the board and parts availability. Because NPI builds run on the production line, the move to volume is smooth, and we'll flag anything in the design that could cause problems in assembly or test along the way.

Yes. We manage all the mechanical design and prototype builds, and we commission production tooling with our suppliers, so you have one team responsible for the whole product.

We specialise in low to medium volumes, built in our own facility in Ross-on-Wye. For higher volumes, we work with manufacturing partners in China and the EU, and we manage that for you.

PCB assembly on our own SMT lines, JST-style crimped cable looms, final mechanical assembly and full box build. Everything ships in ESD packaging as standard.

Yes. We do box build and final mechanical assembly for products designed elsewhere, as well as PCB assembly. Send us your design pack and we'll review it and quote.

No. We run a lead-free (RoHS) process only, including low-temperature lead-free paste where it's needed.

Yes. Send us your files and we'll quote. We'll also point out anything in the design that could cause problems in assembly or test.