Hardware Manufacturing Consulting: From Prototype to a Batch You Can Ship
Hardware manufacturing consulting for electronics startups and product teams. Factory test and provisioning, firmware security on the production line, unit tracking, and the decisions that decide whether a batch ships on time.
I make hardware as well as design it. I have taken my own controllers from a prototype on a bench to units that are tested, flashed, provisioned and labelled, then shipped to customers abroad. Early in my career I worked in China at a wearables company, where I first saw how hardware is made at scale.
Most hardware teams discover manufacturing in their first batch, under deadline, with money already spent. Hardware manufacturing consulting with me is about making those discoveries on paper first: what each unit must prove, who holds which keys, and how you will know where every device ended up.
Where a first production run goes wrong
No real test at the end of the line
A unit that powers on is not a unit that works. I help define what each device must prove before it leaves the factory, and how to check it in seconds, not minutes.
Flashing and provisioning done by hand
Loading firmware, reading the device identity, pairing it with a SIM and printing its label are four chances for a mistake on every unit. They belong in one station that does them in order and records the result.
Firmware security that stops at the factory door
If the factory holds your signing key, you do not control what runs on your devices. I help set up production so the factory receives signed firmware and nothing that would let anyone else produce it.
Losing track of units between factory and customer
Which serial number went to which customer, with which SIM, on which firmware? If that takes a spreadsheet search, support will hurt. The answer should be one scan away.
A design that is hard to assemble or test
Small choices on the board, such as where the test points are and how the device enters test mode, decide how much every unit costs to verify. They are cheap to fix before tooling and expensive after.
Not knowing what a batch really needs
A bill of materials on paper and the parts on the shelf rarely match. I help set up the records so you know what you have, what a batch consumes, and what to order.
A good fit if
- You have a working prototype and are planning your first batch.
- You have shipped a run and spent too long finding and fixing units by hand.
- You are choosing or changing a manufacturing partner and want your process defined first.
How we can work together
- A working session
- One focused call on one problem. I read your material beforehand so the time goes to the problem.
- A written review
- I go through your design, code or plan and send back findings in order of priority, with what I would change and why.
- Ongoing advisory
- Regular calls while you build, with questions answered in between. Suited to a team working through a hard stretch.
Questions people ask first
Do you find a factory for us or manage the factory?
I help you define what you need from a manufacturer and how to check you are getting it. The relationship with the factory stays yours.
Is this only for large volumes?
No. Most of what goes wrong happens between ten units and a few hundred, where everything is still done by hand and nothing is written down.
Can you help if our devices are already in the field?
Yes. Traceability and a proper test station can be added after the fact, and usually pay for themselves the first time a batch has a fault.
Talk to me about hardware manufacturing consulting
Tell me what you are building and where it is stuck. I read every message myself.