iIf you are an engineer or a printed circuit board designer, you may be looking for an electronics manufacturer for your product. Choosing an appropriate manufacturer can make or break your entire project. Anyone experienced in the manufacturing industry knows that every electronics manufacturer has limitations and advanced capabilities. Knowing these capabilities may be your first step in making the right choice.
The advent of Industry 4.0 makes choosing electronic manufacturing companies even more challenging. Now, you should consider advanced processes such as IoT, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Cloud Computing capabilities. Failing to adapt to these emerging standards can get you far behind the electronics manufacturing race.
With this article presents to you the top 10 electronics manufacturers. This list includes both OEM and ODM corporations found in the entire globe. This article will help you make the right decision in choosing an electronics manufacturer just right for your needs.
Foxconn Technology Group
If you know an Apple product well enough, you’ve undoubtedly heard about Foxconn Technology Group. It’s the largest electronics manufacturer in the world today and is Apple’s leading electronics supplier. Foxconn became an electronics giant in Taiwan, later spreading to several countries and continents.
These are some of the countries where they have manufacturing plants:
- China
- Vietnam
- Japan
- The United States
- Malaysia
- The Czech Republic
- Mexico
- Brazil
- India
Foxconn concentrates on four key technology areas:
- Smart electronics
- Cloud networking
- Components
- Computing products.
If you’re looking for advanced Industry 4.0 capabilities, make no mistake that Foxconn is ready for this. Know that Foxconn will cover your entire manufacturing process when you get them as a contract manufacturer.
Recently, news emerged that Foxconn will double its operating capacity in India to diversify its global strategic supply chain.
Jabil Inc.
1. Jabil’s History and Coverage
Jabil Inc. started in Michigan in 1966 doing printed circuit board assemblies and eventually evolved into an electronics manufacturing giant. The company has worldwide coverage spanning more than 30 countries with more than 250,000 employees. Indeed, this is a feat many manufacturing firms want to achieve.
2. Jabil’s Industry Coverage
This company covers a lot of different kinds of industries, including:
- Automotive electronics
- Cloud data centers
- Smart home solutions
- Defense & Aerospace
- Energy, industrial & building
3. Jabil’s Distinct Advantage
One of Jabil’s distinct advantages is its sophisticated supply chain management. It has one of the most intelligent systems in the world. They hire competent component engineers and merge with different business units to achieve their supply chain goal. No doubt, if you have a component or equipment you find it hard to source, you can rely on Jabil’s services.
Wistron Corporation
1. Wistron Corporation’s Corporate Background
Wistron Corporation is a Taiwan-based electronics manufacturing company catering to information technology, design, and manufacturing services. Mainly, it’s an ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) that large companies hire to manufacture a product for them under the company’s brand. Winston traces its roots back in Taiwan as Acer until the year 2000.
Wistron mainly caters to designing, manufacturing, and supporting desktop and laptop PCs, networking and communication products, handheld devices, and server products.
2. Wistron’s Presence
The company expanded into several regions, employing over 80,000 employees—Wistron’s presence is in Asia, Europe, and North America. In 2020, the company established a vast manufacturing plant in Vietnam (around 230 square meters), amounting to approximately 14 million dollars.
As added info, Wistron won first place in Taiwan’s Top 100 Domestic Companies Sustainability Model Award. HR Asia also lists it as one of the Best Companies to Work for in Asia.
Union Electronic Technology
A key player in the electronics manufacturing industry, Shenzhen-based Union Electronic Technology, or UET PCB, has been manufacturing electronics for the past 15 years. It started in 2005 as an SMT factory, upgrading itself with new equipment and software to satisfy customer needs. Now, UET is a complete electronics manufacturing service serving international clients worldwide.
1. UET’s Services
UET’s services include:
- PCB
- PCBA manufacturing
- Component Sourcing
- Wire Harness
- Box Building Assembly
These competencies make them a complete solution for any electronics manufacturing. Its products include PCBs for IoT, Medical, automotive, and Military. Additionally, they also do Firmware and Testing services.
UET’s Core Competencies
- International Standard Quality System
- 24-hour support with 3-6 days shipping worldwide
- Latest PCB technology and automated machines
- Caters to both PCB manufacturing and Assembly
Additionally, UET prides itself on close customer relations, more than anything else, that results in long-term partnerships.
Celestica Inc.
1. Celestica Inc.’s Corporate History and Background
Originally, Celestica started as a wholly-owned subsidiary of IBM. Since then, it has grown dynamically, merging and operating with several big companies across the globe. Celestica has a complete lifecycle solution for all your product needs. The company is involved with design & engineering, manufacturing, logistics, after-sales service, licensing, and introducing new products. Celestica’s President and Chief Executive Officer is Rob Mionis, a former member of General Electric (GE).
2. Celestica’s Markets and Presence
The company’s markets include
- Enterprise
- Communications
- Aerospace & Defense
- Industrial & smart energy
- Health technology.
They span the globe and are present in Asia, the Americas, and Europe.
Flex Ltd.
1.Flex Ltd’s History and Background
If you’ve heard about Flextronics Corporation, Flex Ltd. is their new name. Flex Ltd. dates back to 1969 in Silicon Valley, where they concentrated on making circuit boards. Since then, they have expanded their company by sourcing components and assemblies.
In the 1980s, Flex Ltd. established its first global manufacturing facility in Singapore. Through this expansion, they can manufacture products closer to their regional clients. Since then, they continued to grow the company, diversifying into 30 countries worldwide.
2. Flex Ltd’s Services
Flex Ltd is not limited to providing contract manufacturing; it will support you throughout the entire product life cycle. Because of this, Flex can cater to any area of product development. Their services include manufacturing, design & engineering, supply chain, services, and regionalization.
Zolner Electronik Ag
1. Zolner Electronik Ag’s History
Once a simple family business, Zolner Electronik has emerged as one of the top 15 EMS companies in the world. The company founder is Manfred Zolner, a German entrepreneur mainly involved in merchandising electronic goods.
2. Zolner Electronik Ag’s Presence
Zolner Electronik continued to grow and now has a global presence. They have several plants outside Germany listed below:
- Hungary
- Romania
- China
- Tunisia
- The U.S.
- Switzerland
- Hong Kong
With 55 years of experience in EMS, they have established themselves as Europe’s EMS market leader.
3. Zolner Electronik Ag’s Services and Capabilities
Their services include research & development, new product introduction, production, analysis & materials technology, and supply chain management. They also have after-sales service, an essential aspect of sustaining products. They adhere by having material compliance to abide by each customer’s rules and regulations with a particular substance on their product.
Pegatron Corporation
1. Pegatron Corporation’s Beginnings
Another big Taiwanese electronics manufacturing company, Pegatron Corporation, started its roots in ASUStek Computer Inc., one of the largest PC motherboard manufacturers in the world. Pegatron Corp. emerged as a spin-off from the company in 2008 and is now an Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) and a Contract Electronics Manufacturer (CEM).
2. Pegatron Corporation’s Capabilities
The company is involved in product engineering, development, manufacturing, and supply chain management. Their products include notebooks, desktop PCs, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, motherboards, video cards, and even LCD TVs. Additionally, Pegatron Corp is known to produce products for the Apple brand.
3. Pegatron Corporation’s Presence
They have manufacturing plants globally in Taiwan, China, The Czech Republic, Mexico, and Indonesia. They also have customer service offices located in the U.S. and Japan.
Benchmark Electronics Inc.
Benchmark Electronics’ Company History and Background
It was founded in the United States in 1979, specifically in Tempe, Arizona. It’s involved in several markets, such as defense, medical, aerospace, and industrial. The company also does business in communications, advanced computing, and semiconductor-making equipment.
Like other contract manufacturers, Benchmark Electronics has several capabilities, which include engineering, advanced manufacturing, and life cycle management.
Benchmark Electronics’ Capabilities
The company is involved in product design in all areas, including:
- Electrical
- Mechanical
- Industrial
- Software engineering
Its manufacturing capabilities include PCB assembly & SMT, precision machining, and automation test & design. They also do environmental and shock screening to test the integrity of their client’s products.
Sanmina Corporation
Sanmina Corporation is an end-to-end services provider mainly involved in electronics manufacturing. Since their service is end-to-end, they have a broad portfolio of capabilities. These capabilities include new product introduction (NPI), design & engineering, manufacturing, supply chain management, order fulfillment, logistics, and after-market service.
Sanmina’s History and Development
The company came about in the 1980s in Silicon Valley. Currently, its main headquarters is in San Jose, California. Sanmina’s Chief Executive Officer is Jure Sola, a Croatian-born U.S. graduate engineer who previously was part of the management team at Lika Manufacturing.
Sanmina was originally a PCB manufacturer, and they continue to venture into this field. Their main goal was to produce challenging products, steering away from mainstream consumer needs. One of their most significant acquisitions was SCI, a manufacturer producing complicated, high-end equipment for military and aerospace applications.