Integrated electronics manufacturing
Box build and system integration in San Diego
Spectrum Assembly, Inc. (SAI) builds complete box-build and system-integration programs at its Carlsbad, California facility in San Diego County: PCB assembly, cable and wire-harness assembly, enclosure and mechanical assembly, firmware loading and programming, and testing. You get a finished, tested unit from one manufacturer, with one team accountable for the build.
ISO 13485:2016 and AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015 certified (NSF-ISR)6300 Yarrow Drive, Suite 100, Carlsbad, CA 92011+1 (760) 930-4000
One coordinated build
SAI builds, programs, and tests the complete unit
Box build assembly — also called system integration or electromechanical assembly — is the step where assembled circuit boards, cable harnesses and mechanical parts become a finished, tested unit. SAI performs each of these steps at its Carlsbad facility, so a turnkey box build has one accountable manufacturer from board assembly to finished unit.
PCB assembly
SAI assembles the printed circuit boards that go into the unit and carries them straight into the box build, so board-level work is coordinated with the cable, enclosure, programming, and test scope.
Explore PCB assembly in San DiegoCable and wire-harness assembly
SAI builds the cable and wire-harness assemblies the product needs and installs them in the enclosure as part of the same build. For cable and harness programs, SAI can also develop the tester and test software.
Explore cable and wire-harness assemblyEnclosure and mechanical assembly
SAI assembles boards, harnesses, hardware, and mechanical parts into the enclosure to produce the finished unit. Machined parts come from outside suppliers; SAI performs the assembly.
Firmware loading, programming, and testing
SAI performs firmware loading, device programming, and production testing; the customer supplies the test fixture and test requirements. Each customer-developed test fixture receives an SAI asset number, with calibration or maintenance scheduled as the fixture requires.
Conformal coating
SAI applies acrylic and urethane conformal coating in-house. Parylene coating comes from an outside supplier.
Material, documentation, and first builds
Turnkey material, resolved documentation, and the option of a pilot build
Turnkey material is SAI's preferred model: SAI sources the components and hardware for the build. Hybrid arrangements, where you supply part of the material and SAI sources the rest, are also supported. The material split is settled during RFQ review.
SAI works through missing or conflicting manufacturing information with you and may offer to create missing documentation as a separately scoped NRE item.
SAI can run a pilot build before full production. You review the pilot yield and test data and approve the move to production.
Who this is for
A box build contract manufacturer for OEMs that need one accountable builder
SAI's box-build work is for OEMs whose products combine boards, harnesses, and mechanical assembly and who want one manufacturer responsible for the finished, tested unit. That includes programs in the medical device industry, covered by SAI's ISO 13485:2016 certification scope; programs that require AS9100D, the aerospace quality management standard; and industrial OEMs consolidating assembly work with one supplier. Review SAI's certifications and scopes.
Documentation and traceability
Lot and serial traceability, with records scoped to your program
- SMD components traced by manufacturer lot number or date code, to the level the program requires.
- Hardware traced by lot number when available; fabricated hardware traced by manufacturer lot number.
- PCBA serial numbers traced to the reference-designator level.
- Records can include a packing slip, certificate of conformance, and Device History Record when required.
The record package is set with you during program review.
Prepare for an initial review
Useful RFQ starting information
- The latest bill of material
- CAD board-assembly files
- Test requirements, if the program includes test
- Manufacturing work instructions you already have
Send what you have; SAI identifies any further inputs with you during program review.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about box build and system integration in San Diego
- What is box build assembly?
- Box build assembly, also called system integration or electromechanical assembly, is the step where assembled circuit boards, cable harnesses, and mechanical parts are built into an enclosure to make a finished, tested unit. SAI performs all of these steps at its Carlsbad, California facility in San Diego County.
- What does SAI perform in-house, and what comes from outside suppliers?
- SAI performs PCB assembly, cable and wire-harness assembly, enclosure and mechanical assembly, firmware loading and programming, testing, and acrylic and urethane conformal coating at its Carlsbad facility. Parylene conformal coating and machined parts come from outside suppliers.
- Who supplies the test fixtures?
- For firmware loading, device programming, and production testing, the customer supplies the developed test fixture and test requirements; SAI assigns each fixture an asset number and runs the tests. For cable and wire-harness assemblies, SAI can develop the tester and test software.
- Do you work turnkey or with customer-supplied material?
- Turnkey material is SAI’s preferred model. Hybrid arrangements, where the customer supplies part of the material and SAI sources the rest, are also supported and are settled during RFQ review.
- What traceability and records are available?
- SMD components can be traced by manufacturer lot number or date code, hardware by lot number when available, and PCBA serial numbers to the reference-designator level. Records can include a packing slip, certificate of conformance, and Device History Record when required.
- Which certifications cover system integration?
- SAI is certified to ISO 13485:2016, scope: “The manufacture of PCB assemblies, harnesses, cables and system integrations per customer specifications for the medical device industry.” It is also certified to AS9100D with ISO 9001:2015, scope: “Manufacturing of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), wire and cable (W&C) harness assemblies, and complete systems integration per customer specifications.” Both certificates are issued by NSF-ISR.
- Can you run a pilot build first?
- SAI can run a pilot build before full production. You review the pilot yield and test data and approve the move to full production.
- Where are you located, and who do you serve?
- SAI was founded in 1993 and builds at 6300 Yarrow Drive, Suite 100, Carlsbad, CA 92011, in San Diego County. It serves OEMs in San Diego County and Southern California; its ISO 13485:2016 certification covers this work for the medical device industry, and its AS9100D certification covers complete systems integration per customer specifications.
Discuss your box-build program
Share your assembly scope, material approach, test requirements, and available manufacturing files. SAI reviews them and tells you what else the RFQ needs.
Start an RFQ