
Ask HN: Anyone with experience dealing with Shenzhen electronics manufacturer? - throwaway98790
I&#x27;ve made contact with a Shenzhen electronics manufacturing company and got an initial quote to get some electronics designed and built. I want to have 1,000 units made initially. The device is a small single board computer about the size of a (big) thumb with a handful of chips and i&#x2F;o ports. The company is very experienced in building devices that are very similar.<p>Is there anyone here with experience dealing with Chinese electronics manufacturers willing to offer me some wisdom about how to succeed in my dealings?<p>Their initial quote is $3,500USD (which I believe is for the design only, but I have emailed them to confirm) and they&#x27;ve said that the BOM for a single unit is $25USD which seems a little on the high side but approximately right.<p>I&#x27;m wanting to understand things like:<p><i></i> If the single unit BOM is USD$25, what should I expect the approximate price to be for 1,000 units?<p><i></i> what approximately should it cost for such a company to do the electronics design according to my broad specifications? Is $3,500USD too high?<p><i></i> should I be negotiating on the price that they have offered, and if yes, how do I negotiate in a manner that is respectful and polite yet conveys confidence?<p><i></i> how can I best lock down the 1,000 unit volume pricing for the item I wish to have manufactured, before committing fully to this manufacturer?<p><i></i> what&#x27;s a good way to learn (fast) how to work with Chinese culture in a respectful and polite manner whilst also getting the job done to a successful outcome.... any books?<p><i></i> Any pitfalls or tips in particular to look out for?<p>thanks in advance!
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mchannon
Am in the process of ramping up a similar-sized board.

If you are worried about IP leakage, it's best to take more of the project on
yourself. If you're US-based, there are a number of boutique PCB manufacturers
you can call on stateside. Fast iteration is key; even next day airing stuff
from China can sometimes double the iteration period when you consider
customs.

Don't try to deal with China yourself if you have no experience. There are
numerous agents who know the shortcuts, and I wish I could recommend some.
There's nothing more irritating than realizing you picked the wrong shipping
company or freight forwarder and thousands of dollars' worth of product
getting delayed 3 months or lost entirely because, say, you thought FedEx was
as good there as they are here.

There are more than a few horror stories where "account managers" on the
Chinese side lulled their customers into a sense of turnkey operation, then
pilfered the SWIFT or IBAN transfers once the order volume got huge, lying to
both manufacturer and client, disappearing scot free into the Chinese system
only when they determined the jig was up and they couldn't defraud their
client, you, out of more money.

If you're at all technically capable, recommend you consider getting the bare
boards made in China but doing your own pick and place and reflow in your own
business (costs about $5k in capital equipment). That way only you know what
you're building, and you can exert way more control over the unexpected
changes that are inevitably coming.

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ecesena
Cost depends on complexity, not size, so it’s hard to tell whether $3.5k is
little or a lot.

For price, it changes a ton with volume. You can estimate searching components
on mouser.

If I were you, I’d look for someone willing to do design that you can trust
more, or work with crowdsupply/indigo go/kickstarter and get connected to
their referrals for a comparison.

Happy to chat more, feel free to email me.

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CaptainDeng
I work for Shenzhen electronics manufacturing company, but I am not for PCB
manufacturing. I think your issue is relatively easy to handle, I think I can
give you some advice on communication with vendor. If you feel free, you can
contact zhdeng@live.cn to talk about details of your requirement.

