Engineering
The founders of ECI began their careers as engineers and technicians, embedding the mindset and culture of problem solving into the organization at large. We cover all the bases of electronic and electromechanical design, and have capability in electronic hardware design, software development, cable harness design, control panel design, and mechanical design.
Our value lies in applying our experience where it’s needed. We support our customers at any stage of the design process, and work with them to ensure their products meet agency, regulatory, or military requirements.
We believe in asking a lot of questions
At ECI, we leverage Process, rooted in our ISO9001/13485 based Quality System, alongside our decades of combined interal manufacturing experience to ensure we deliver exceptional solutions for our customers. Our process is designed to be collaborative, transparent, and focused on meeting the unique needs of each individual customer. Each project is unique, therefore so is our approach.
Needs Assessment:
We first work to understand the problems customers are trying to solve, and to then determine how best we can solve them. ECI’s philosophy is to fit our services only where they are needed, and to advise where our expertise allows.
NPI:
We ensure configuration, materials, and special processes, among many others, are called out and defined, and design our processes accordingly. This is part of a controlled process, which is transparent to our customers.
Quality Assurance:
Ensuring quality control as well as ongoing quality assurance is embedded in our culture, and provides the basis for all our manufacturing. We work to establish key characteristics and inspection criteria to ensure maximum quality and reliability.
Logistics:
Material and inventory management is a consistent challenge for all manufacturers, and we can support any model: full turnkey to fully consigned, and everything in between. We also support Kanban and many other unique inventory management options.
Engineering Capabilities
About Engineering Capabilities
“Science can amuse and fascinate us all, but it is engineering that changes the world.” – Isaac Asimov
ECI was founded by technical experts and engineers, so the mindset is in our DNA. We maintain a culture of problem-solving, through continuous improvement activities, ongoing training and learning, as well as taking on our customer’s challenges!
Our engineering team leads or supports through product development and NPI, development of test processes and equipment, sustaining and value engineering, as well as through rapid prototyping. We aim to fit where we’re needed and support as an extension of our customer’s own engineering team. Our ultimate goal is to help get our customer’s products into production in the way that most reflects their design goals, while ensuring compliance with regulations, industry standards, and best design practices for the application.
New Product Planning Process
- Product planning and ideation
- All phases of development
- Testing, and pre-scan
- Product certification (UL, CSA)
- Production launch
ECI's Test & Evaluation Processes
ECI’s production philosophy is rooted in quality, and our design philosophy is no different. Our internal test group ensures that product can be adequately tested, for both functionality and throughput, throughout the production process. Our aim is to ensure we are testing that each product meets its design and functionality goals, in the most efficient and thoughtful way possible. ECI’s test group provides:
- Product development with concurrent test and test equipment design and development
- Design and process validation and verification (DFMEA / PFMEA)
- Dedicated test engineering function
- In-house test fixture and jig design and development
ECI's Prototyping Capability
We understand the importance of prototyping, especially for testing larger systems, and have that flexibility built into our production operation. Our engineering group supports the prototyping process through design evaluation, component selection, and test process development. ECI’s customers use our prototyping capability to quickly prove out designs, make system changes, and as the starting point of their product development process.
- Dedicated SMT line and prototyping area on production floor
- Dedicated prototype process to allow for flexibility and speed, while still delivering on the quality our customers expect
- Multi-disciplinary team assigned to each project to ensure smooth delivery
ECI's Continuity of Supply
We understand that over time, design packages can go missing, components go EOL, or form factors or features change to support changing product functionality or use-cases. Since ECI supports products at all stages of the product lifecycle, we routinely work on projects that are more than 10 or even 20 years old. Our commitment to ensure continuity of supply to our customers drives part of our Sustaining effort.
ECI also provides significant Value Engineering through Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (DFMEA), and reverse or re-engineering legacy products in need of modernization. We work hard to keep making things better.
“Science can amuse and fascinate us all, but it is engineering that changes the world.” – Isaac Asimov
ECI was founded by technical experts and engineers, so the mindset is in our DNA. We maintain a culture of problem-solving, through continuous improvement activities, ongoing training and learning, as well as taking on our customer’s challenges!
Our engineering team leads or supports through product development and NPI, development of test processes and equipment, sustaining and value engineering, as well as through rapid prototyping. We aim to fit where we’re needed and support as an extension of our customer’s own engineering team. Our ultimate goal is to help get our customer’s products into production in the way that most reflects their design goals, while ensuring compliance with regulations, industry standards, and best design practices for the application.
We leverage our New Product Planning (NPP) process to guide our engineering development. And we also make sure that our role is clearly defined and that the overall project goals are understood by everyone. Clear communication is critical throughout any product development process, and we pride ourselves on our proactive approach. We can support at any stage of development:
- Product planning and ideation
- All phases of development
- Testing, and pre-scan
- Product certification (UL, CSA)
- Production launch
ECI’s production philosophy is rooted in quality, and our design philosophy is no different. Our internal test group ensures that product can be adequately tested, for both functionality and throughput, throughout the production process. Our aim is to ensure we are testing that each product meets its design and functionality goals, in the most efficient and thoughtful way possible. ECI’s test group provides:
- Product development with concurrent test and test equipment design and development
- Design and process validation and verification (DFMEA / PFMEA)
- Dedicated test engineering function
- In-house test fixture and jig design and development
We understand the importance of prototyping, especially for testing larger systems, and have that flexibility built into our production operation. Our engineering group supports the prototyping process through design evaluation, component selection, and test process development. ECI’s customers use our prototyping capability to quickly prove out designs, make system changes, and as the starting point of their product development process.
- Dedicated SMT line and prototyping area on production floor
- Dedicated prototype process to allow for flexibility and speed, while still delivering on the quality our customers expect
- Multi-disciplinary team assigned to each project to ensure smooth delivery
We understand that over time, design packages can go missing, components go EOL, or form factors or features change to support changing product functionality or use-cases. Since ECI supports products at all stages of the product lifecycle, we routinely work on projects that are more than 10 or even 20 years old. Our commitment to ensure continuity of supply to our customers drives part of our Sustaining effort.
ECI also provides significant Value Engineering through Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (DFMEA), and reverse or re-engineering legacy products in need of modernization. We work hard to keep making things better.
Industry Certifications
Frequently Asked Questions
We have a build package that we no longer have schematics for. Can ECI help to reverse-engineer our product?
Yes. While all products are different, we can work with your team to re-create the original schematics.
Does ECI do all of its electronic assembly work in-house in Canada?
Yes. We perform all electronic assembly services in-house.
What does the engineering process look like?
The engineering process involves every stage from initial ideation, to design, to prototyping, to testing and production. ECI works alongside you to deliver a product that perfectly fits your market needs.
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