We are pleased to introduce Cubik Electronic Product Support (EPS). This strategic expansion offers expert support in compliance testing, certification, and electronic product development.
We are pleased to introduce Cubik Electronic Product Support (EPS). This strategic expansion offers expert support in compliance testing, certification, and electronic product development.
Discover key factors to consider when choosing an electronics manufacturing partner. Learn how Cubik Innovation’s expertise, quality, and flexibility can help bring your product to life on time and within budget.
We catch up with our Apprentice Production Engineer, Jake, to talk about his journey, the challenges he's faced and what he's learned along the way.
Kiwa's Hot Swage Joint Analyser, a critical tool used to measure corrosion and ensure the structural safety of streetlight columns, relied on outdated parts and components that were no longer available.
EarSwitch is a wearable device for people with severe neurological conditions like MND. It detects ear movements, enabling users to control devices and communicate despite limited motor skills.
The Virt is a cutting-edge two-way camera IoT device that delivers a new era of connectivity for darts players and fans alike.
We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Cyber Essentials Plus certification for a sixth year, demonstrating our commitment to cyber security.
Speed to market is critical to the success of a product. We look at how you can develop a product with market readiness in mind to avoid delays and loss of a competitive edge.
Cubik Innovation is delighted to announce that Sam Beard has been appointed as Operations Director.
Kiwa are leaders in testing, inspection, certification and data services to a global customer base across a variety of market segments, including construction, utilities and public safety. Their hot swage joint analyser is used to measure the level of corrosion at the swage joint area of a streetlight column to determine its structural safety.
Kiwa approached Cubik for help with an existing product that was at risk of becoming unmanufacturable. Originally designed in the 1990’s, their hot swage joint analyser called for parts and components that had become obsolete since its inception.
Their objectives were to update the design to create a modern, handheld version and manufacture five new units, complete with full data pack including electronic design files and a software source file.
It was vital that the new design measured and calculated results in the same way as the existing device so that historic testing data could be inherited by the new instrument, without having to define new safety classifications.
The process began with reverse engineering the circuit and sourcing alternative components for the obsolete ones. We ran tests to understand how the device measured, inferring the method of operation and calculating results to fit those produced by the existing device. We then built a prototype breadboard version that allowed us to recreate the device’s operation and generate measurable results.
Using the output from our investigations, we created a custom PCB design and developed software to manage the system and record and present results via a digital display. Finally, we benchmarked the results against the existing device to ensure the results were consistent.
The hot swage joint analyser is one of the main tools used by Kiwa’s technicians to annually inspect and assess the structural integrity of over 130,000 lighting columns across the UK and Ireland, helping to ensure the safety of the public. As well as offering amore modern and functional aesthetic, the new design eliminates the immediate risk of obsolescence and creates a platform for further units to be built to support the scaling of the business.
Dr. Nick Gompertz created EarSwitch a wearable device that has the capability to change the lives of people with severe neurological conditions such as Motor Neuron Disease (MND). This in-ear innovation detects motion from one of the smallest muscles in the body, the tensor tympani, giving users the power to communicate and control their environment.
The Earswitch system comprises of an in-ear sensor and a processing unit that translates the information collected by the sensor and generates Bluetooth or USB data that is sent to the user's device. Nick and his team needed a multi-disciplinary team to help them develop their revolutionary device into a commercially viable product that satisfies strict medical regulations.
Throughout the project we worked collaboratively with several stakeholders including our colleagues in The Product Partnership. This enabled us to support Nick and the team from initial concept through to prototyping and into low volume manufacture for field trials.
For our part, we designed and developed a system architecture for the in-ear module and interface whilst keeping manufacturability in mind. The design was technically challenging and required miniaturisation of the in-ear module to ensure it fit the compact device, without compromising on quality and precision.
Once the device was ready, we assisted with regulatory approval including Electromagnetic Capability (EMC) and Medical Device Safety EN 60601-1.
EarSwitch is ground-breaking medical technology that will change the lives of people suffering with neurological impairments. It offers a transformational opportunity for people with the most severe communication restrictions to have a voice, take control of their environment and choose how to live their lives.
EarSwitch has been recognised innovative technology, winning numerous awards and securing significant investment.
Target Darts is a leader in darts equipment and sponsors some of the biggest names in the game including Luke Littler and Rob Cross. Their latest product creates a new category of connected IoT devices bringing the skill and excitement of the game to homes at the touch of a button.
The Virt Camera is a two-way camera system that allows users to play competitive darts against a global online community. It's front facing camera lets you opponent watch your throw, while the dartboard facing camera allows them to see your dart land in real time, high-definition video.
Target Darts approached Cubik with a prototype of their new product and asked us to conduct a design review that focussed on design for manufacture and supply. The Virt needed to stream two live video feeds to a remote server and an app that would configure and score the game. The biggest challenge was fitting the amount of tech needed into a sleek, compact design whilst maintaining a high-quality video feed.
As part of the design review, we produced a low volume build of the existing prototype to test and analyse. Using the output, we made design recommendations to improve performance and streamline the manufacturability of the product.
Getting the camera tech right was a big piece of the puzzle. Our team carried out extensive research and testing to select the best camera component. We then designed and built a bespoke PCB that enabled the camera to interact with off the shelf components to bring the whole system together.
With a refreshed design that employed design for manufacture principles, we went on to successfully support Target Darts through the regulatory certification process and achieved CE, UKCA and FCC approval.
The result, a market ready product that is now available to purchase: https://bit.ly/40fuW5k
The IZLID is a compact, lightweight infrared laser device used by the military as a command pointer for target marking and communicating with aircraft. It is small enough to fit into the user’s pocket, or attach to their belt for quick access, offering swift guidance to ground personnel over a range of 39km.
Close Air Solutions (CAS) asked Cubik to design a simulator that replicated the look and feel of the IZLID’s aesthetics, ergonomics and user functions, without the infrared beam. The IZLID simulator needed to connect to CAS simulation system via a single USB lead and return data back to the simulation system.
The IZLID simulator is used in classroom based military training to help soldiers gain knowledge and experience of how it would behave in a real-world application. Simulation is a critical part of military training allowing soldiers to experience realistic scenarios in a virtual world, improving their decision making and readiness for combat situations.
The Reskube offers a simple solution providing access to both continuous power and uninterruptible internet connectivity for itself and any connected devices during a power outage. It’s sleek and portable design means that it can be used in a wide range of settings from powering a home office to life saving medical equipment. This intelligent device has the capability to detect and resolve issues before they become a problem.
With our friends at Bang Creations delivering the mechanical design, we were brought on board to design and build the system architecture and support the product through regulatory certification. We worked closely with Bang to ensure the electronic system fit the custom enclosure without compromising on quality and performance.
Designed with critical remote workers in mind the Reskube gives users the confidence to work from any location without fear of disruption. Outside of the home, Reskube maintains continuous operations during outages for small sites such as retail stores, construction sites, doctor's surgeries, and primary schools, ensuring that critical systems and equipment remain operational. Additionally, it offers the added benefit of remote monitoring and management. In global regions where power outages are commonplace the Reskube offers a source of reliability and resilience in an environment with unpredictable connectivity.
Bristol & London based company, Switchee Ltd developed a smart thermostat solution aimed at reducing energy bills in social housing. The intelligent device learns the routine of the household, detects when the house is not occupied and turns the heating on or off accordingly. The device allows valuable data to be gathered remotely reducing the requirement for complex interaction or configuration from the user.
Switchee approached Cubik for help with the development of the software drivers which allow the operating system to communicate with the hardware. This quickly evolved into a larger scheme of work that incorporated the printed circuit board (PCB) design, prototype manufacture and firmware development.
Switchee is the first internet-connect device in social housing. It delivers real-time data that gives housing providers the insights and tools they need to proactively support residents and manage homes.
With a Switchee device installed, energy efficiency can be optimised on a case-by-case basis reducing energy waste, lowering heating bills and cutting carbon emissions.
The rapid development of biometric security technology has led to an increase in biometric systems being used for physical access control. In this article, we explore what biometric security is, how it’s used and look at the pros and cons of this increasingly popular technology.
What is biometric security?
Biometric security uses metrics and measurements to verify an individual based on their unique human features or characteristics. These can be broken down into two different types of identifiers:
Physiological: These analyse the composition of an individual to verify their identity. Physiological biometrics includes fingerprint recognition, facial recognition, finger geometry, iris or retina recognition, vein pattern, voice recognition and DNA.
Behavioural: These analyse the unique ways in which individuals act such as typing patterns, mouse, and finger movement, walking gait, gestures and even social media and website engagement patterns.
Types of biometrics security and authentication
Humans have all kinds of unique characteristics that can be used as a security tool:
DNA: Probably one of the most well-known biometric identifiers, DNA is used in law enforcement to positively identify a criminal or prove a person’s innocence.
Fingerprint recognition: Fingerprint systems analyse the locations of the dermal ridges or “minutiae” on the pad of your finger.
Facial recognition: Using an image of your face, special software analyses measurements and points on your face such as the distance between your eyes, to create a facial signature.
Optical recognition: Like a fingerprint, a person’s iris pattern is completely unique. But whilst your finger pad contains between 60-70 points of reference, your iris contains over 200 points of reference making it an excellent way to verify identity.
Vein pattern: Growing in popularity, this process works by scanning through your finger to detect the vein pattern beneath.
Voice recognition: Biometrics aren’t just limited to physical attributions. Using a stored sample of a fixed passphrase, voice recognition software analyses tone, pitch, and frequencies to identify a match.
How is it used?
Biometrics are used to answer two slightly different questions about a person:
Biometric identification: This requires a centralised database that allows biometric comparison to match and positively identify an individual. For example, DNA stored on a law enforcement database.
Biometric authentication: This compares biometric data to validate authentic stored data. A good example of this is a fingerprint login on a smartphone. Every time a user logs in, the device checks their fingerprint pattern against the data stored in the phone to verify identify. Biometric authentication does not require a centralised database and instead uses data stored within the device.
Who uses it?
Historically, biometrics have been used by global authorities for a wide variety of reasons such as border control, military access control and law enforcement. But as we become more reliant on our devices to access our personal data, the demand for biometric security to become more mainstream has increased. And big companies have listened with millions of smartphone users now using fingerprint and facial recognition to access devices and applications.
As a result, there are many different sectors that use biometrics as a form of identification:
Law enforcement: Police and other law enforcement agencies use biometric systems to support criminal investigations and includes criminal ID solutions such as fingerprint recognition and palm recognition. Live facial recognition, which gives the ability to perform facial recognition in a crowd, has become increasingly popular and is gaining interest in public security.
Border control and travel: A biometrics passport, or e-Passport, contains an embedded microprocessor chip that holds biometric data and is used to authenticate the identity the passport holder.
Building access: In recent years, there has been an increase in the usage of biometric solutions for granting access to building such as places of work, schools, and hospitals.
Mobile access and authentication: Both Android and iOS devices have added biometric security features. Apple were the first to take the step with fingerprint recognition but have since gone on to develop ‘FaceID’. In the coming years, it’s expected they will incorporate FaceID with the traditional login or passkey to create and 2-factor authentication process.
Advantages of biometric security
Disadvantages of biometric security
How easy is it to integrate into device development?
There are many options available commercially that provide access to biometric authentication, especially fingerprint and iris recognition. Complete modules are available to provide read and authenticate functionality, some of these can be connected to a remote database to provide rudimentary biometric identification.
In addition, there are several software modules which can be combined with off the shelf readers to produce sophisticated systems with minimal effort.
Security now goes hand in hand with digital and device development for good reason and as you can see from the list above, there is a wealth of choice when integrating this in your device. The best solutions need careful consideration from a user’s point of view and to help promote a level of trust with your product or process. This technology space continues to evolve as sensor technology develops but it will remain a key part of device interaction.
If you’ve got a project you’d like to discuss, call 0117 244 3000 or complete our contact us form.
International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is a campaign that raises the profile of women working in engineering roles and draws attention to the career opportunities that are available to women and girls in an exciting industry. Now in its 8th year, the campaign has gone global and celebrates the outstanding contributions from women engineers throughout the world.
This INWED we are celebrating Design Engineer, Shannon, who joined Cubik in 2014 as the business’ first apprentice. Shannon had a clear idea of what she wanted to do when she left school and was determined not to let anything stop her from achieving her goals. Seven years on, she is now a fully qualified Design Engineer and a deeply embedded and valued member of the Cubik Innovation team.
Shannon comes from a long line of engineers. Not only do her parents work within the engineering industry, but both of her Grandads owned engineering companies – Brunel Pattern Making which was dissolved in 2018 and Coppermill Engineering in Bitton, Bristol which is now managed by Shannon’s Uncle.
Growing up, Shannon took a keen interest in her family’s work and was always eager to get involved wherever she could. As a young child, she spent a lot of time with her Grandad stripping and rebuilding his Norton motorbike, before moving onto an MG BGT.
“Being able to help my Grandad with his motorbikes and car was amazing. I’ve always been pretty hands on when it comes to working on projects or doing jobs and never minded getting my hands mucky”.
When the time came to start thinking about life after school, Shannon knew that she wanted to follow in her family’s footsteps and turn her passion into a career. But, despite her natural creative flair and early experience of the industry, she found there were several barriers in her way:
“At school I was told that I wouldn’t be able to get into engineering without going to University, which I didn’t want to do. Being told I couldn’t do something just gave me even more drive to do it. It’s not always been plain sailing, but the knockbacks I’ve received just made me more determined to prove people wrong”.
Whilst working at her local rugby club, Shannon mentioned to a friend that she wanted to pursue a career in electrical engineering and was introduced to Cubik’s Managing Director, Paul Mullen. Paul and Shannon hit it off straight away but at the time Cubik was not looking to take on an apprentice.
Determined not to take no for an answer, Shannon offered to do a week’s work experience at Cubik in addition to her school’s work experience scheme. Paul was so impressed by her work ethic, he accepted her offer and Shannon spent a week at Cubik HQ working alongside our engineers and completed her first PCB build. A week later, Shannon was offered our first apprenticeship.
For the first two years of her apprenticeship, Shannon split her time between the office and college where she studied for the Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering before moving on to achieve the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. She then went on to complete several NVQ units and achieved an NVQ Level 4 Extended Diploma in Engineering Manufacture.
At the end of her apprenticeship, Shannon was offered a full-time role in Cubik’s Production department where she perfected her craft before realising her goals and integrating into the design team. As a Design Engineer, Shannon specialises in PCB layout and 3D modelling:
“I am a creative person which means that some things just come naturally. I take great pride in making sure 3D modelled enclosures are aesthetically pleasing, tracking on PCB’s is neat and tidy and, where possible, I like to make sure component placement is symmetrical and equally spaced. I guess you could say I am a bit of a perfectionist.”
If you’d like to find out more about Shannon’s route to becoming a Design Engineer, read An Interview: Cubik First Apprentice.
To find out more about some of the fantastic opportunities available, visit the Women in Engineering Society website.
We are delighted to announce that we will be exhibiting at the Engineering Design Show (EDS) Reconnect.
EDS Reconnect is a brand-new virtual event that showcases the latest in cutting edge technology, projects, and innovations across the engineering industry. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to put physical events on hold, EDS Reconnect turns the traditional trade show into a virtual hub of innovation.
The event will take place online on Wednesday 31 March and Thursday 1 April 2021 and is free to attend. Delegates will have the opportunity to visit exhibitors’ virtual booths where they can book 1-2-1 meetings and interact directly with the teams via messaging and video call.
The show will also feature a comprehensive programme of keynote speakers, case study-led presentations and interactive panel sessions which address some of the key challenges and opportunities facing the UK engineering sector.
Cubik Innovation made its debut at the EDS in 2019 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry and we are thrilled to be able to return as part of the EDS Reconnect.
This year, we’ll be joined by our partners from The Product Partnership (TPP), Amalgam Modelmaking and Realise Design, who will have their own virtual booths, making it a full house at this year’s event.
If you have got a project you would like to discuss, are looking for someone to manufacture your product or simply want to have a chat, visit our booth. Our team of experts will be on hand across the 2 days to talk you through what we do and how we can help.
Find out more about EDS Reconnect and register for your free place.
Are you interested in reshoring your electronics manufacture but need to keep manufacturing costs in check?
Recently we have seen several companies move their electronics manufacture back to the UK. As we covered in our previous article, some products lend themselves to UK manufacture. But some techniques that are often applied abroad do not work in the UK due to labour cost.
One example is the good-old soldered wire. In China, for example, it is quite common to solder a flexible wire directly to a PCB and is usually carried out by hand. Manual operations like this are obviously possible in the UK but are often not cost effective. Adding a simple wire to PCB connector could reduce the assembly cost because the connector is machine assembled, rather than hand assembled, and the reduction in labour time offsets the additional parts cost
In “low-cost” countries, the Bill of Materials (BoM) is scrutinised during manufacture cost-down and, where possible, is cost reduced. This is often achieved by removing parts such as wire to board connectors and replacing them with direct soldered connections. For UK manufacture, a different approach must be taken.
One method that Cubik has used successfully is to add separate, costed lines to the BoM for machine time and labour time (often called touch time), per process step. By organising the BoM by cost and reducing the most expensive lines we are forced to review the manual processes which will likely lead to a reduction in touch-time. Adding connectors into the BoM can then be considered based on cost.
In addition, a design iteration focussed on optimising the product design for UK manufacture should not be ruled out. Design fees can be expensive, and you may also need some additional compliance testing, but this cost could be offset against the unit price benefit. There may also be an opportunity to fix any other issues at the same time.
So, to reduce costs in the UK:
Whilst there are sometimes benefits to sending electronic products abroad to be manufactured, evolving methodologies in the UK, together with the key advantages of keeping your product close to home, means that UK manufacture is a viable alternative.
Over the past 3 years we have seen several companies move their electronics manufacture from the Far East and other “low-cost” countries, back to the UK. Surely this cannot be competitive, can it?
We recently carried out a cost comparison on a batch build of 2000 assemblies. Our UK cost was around 25% higher than that obtained from a Chinese partner, excluding import duty. That is quite a difference, isn’t it? So, why are some companies looking to build in the UK rather than exporting manufacture to another country?
After speaking to customers who have reshored their electronics production, the reasons are clear:
It is difficult to find an overseas manufacturer who is interested in producing less than 5000 units.
Customers that have returned their manufacture to the UK have seen many benefits which can offset the lift in unit price. It is these benefits that are leveraging the return to UK manufacture. It is true, there are some products that do not lend themselves to manufacture in the UK. Low cost, high volume consumer products can be difficult to manufacture competitively in the West, but many products do not sit in this category. Industrial and professional electronics are less cost sensitive, are generally produced in lower volume and are great candidates for UK manufacture.
So, what are the benefits of manufacturing locally?
There are a few tricks that can be applied to reduce the cost of assemblies in the UK. We will look at these in more detail in our next article.
Since 1985, manufacturers have been required to affix a CE mark to certain products to allow them to be sold in the UK and Europe. In the electronics industry, this process is well trodden as almost every product needs to be CE marked. But what happens on New Years Day 2021 when we wake up and are no longer part of the European Union (EU)?
From January 2022, manufacturers of all applicable products sold in Britain must affix the new UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark.
If the product is going to be sold in the EU and Ireland the CE mark must also be used meaning most products will be marked with both marks.
Manufacturers will be given a transition period to allow them to evaluate their products requirements, obtain the appropriate documentation and make the necessary changes. From January 2021, they will be able to use either the CE mark or the UKCA mark. From January 2022 the CE mark will no longer be recognised in Great Britain and, by January 2023, the UKCA mark only must be affixed directly to the product.
So, what does this mean for my product?
If your product was tested to the British standards you may not need to retest it, but you will need to generate a UKCA declaration and amend the technical file. Information about the standards to which your product has been tested should be stated on the Declaration of Conformity. If your product was tested to the International version of the standards it is likely that some additional testing may be required.
Cubik Innovation have extensive experience in the field of product compliance testing and documentation. Alongside our network of partners, we are well placed to help transition to the new legislative requirements. If you need help to ensure your product meets the new standards, get in touch.
We are delighted to announce that Ian Binder has joined the Cubik team as Business Development Manager.
Ian brings with him over 30 years’ experience in the engineering sector and has previously worked for several engineering firms, in both technical and commercial roles.
He joins us from Kinneir Dufort where he worked as a Principle Project Manager and, most recently, Head of Industrial and Defence Sector.
Prior to that, Ian began his career as a draughtsman where he trained as a design engineer before securing his first role at Huggett Electrical in Bath in the HVAC control panel industry. After 7 years, Ian moved to Stentorfield in Chippenham where he was responsible for the development of vending machines. When Stentorfield were taken over by vending machine manufacturer, Crane, Ian progressed to the role of Engineering Manager where he spent the next 15 years.
Speaking about his new role, Ian said:
“Cubik already do excellent work and have built up an exceptional reputation. My objective is to find areas of the business where I can add value, develop our offering and, ultimately, help the business grow. I am here to better understand our client’s business needs and ensure client focus throughout the development process.”
Since Cubik was established in 2012, this is the first time the business has appointed a Business Development Manager. Managing Director of Cubik, Paul Mullen, speaks about what Ian will bring to the team, to the business and why now is the right time:
“Ian comes with a wealth of knowledge and experience in product design, engineering, and project management. There is a definite upturn in our sector so growing the team in all areas to accommodate additional work is a logical progression. Ian will help us promote our skills, develop new connections, and produce more. I am delighted to welcome Ian to the team”.
The process of taking any new product to market can seem long and daunting. Add electronics, software, or hardware into the mix where the scope for complexity increases and it might just be enough to put any one off trying all together.
Whether it is an idea on the back of a beer mat after a conversation between friends at the pub or a global corporation with a fully developed idea, Cubik Innovation has the experience and technical expertise to support our customers at every stage of the process. Here we offer a brief overview of each stage of our process from concept right the way through to production.
Initial Concept
So, you’ve got a great idea for a product but now you need to flesh out your idea and develop the concept. Think about, what you want the product to do, who will use the final product and who the target market is. If you know how you want it to look, you can create sketches of your idea and make notes on how you think it will work.
Product Specification
This is where we get into the nitty gritty of what your product can do, clarify the scope of the project, desired timelines, and key priorities. By now, you should have an in-depth knowledge of the product you want to create, the need it solves and the desired functionality. Does your product solve a real-life problem? Are there any products on the market like yours? How can you improve on what is already on the market?
At the end of this phase, you will have a Technical Design Specification (TDS) that details the system architecture and outlines all the technical requirements that need to be met. This will form the blueprint from which your product will be developed.
Design
The design phase can be broken down into 3 stages: electronic design, printed circuit board (PCB) design and mechanical design.
Electronic Design: Our engineers use their technical knowledge and experience to select the best components needed to achieve the desired functionality and usability whilst keeping within budget constraints. When selecting components, there are various factors that need to be considered which will impact what materials are selected to ensure the product runs safely and at full capacity. Taking time to think about what is required will help guide future decision making and ensure the best chance of achieving the final design. Once selected, we produce a schematic design which depicts the graphical representation of the electrical circuit and its components.
Printed Circuit Board Design: Using layout software, the printed circuit board (PCB) design process takes the schematic design and brings the electronic circuit to life in a physical form. This process combines component placement and routing to determine a map of electrical connectivity.
Mechanical Design: Once we have finalised what is electrically required to make your product function, we begin to design the components, or systems of a mechanical nature. Here we consider what is mechanically required to obtain a useful output i.e. to make your product work. For example, the enclosure or housing, buttons, switches, and bearings all fall under the scope of mechanical design.
Using Solidworks software to produce a computer aided design (CAD), we create a detailed technical drawing of your product and the physical components that have been selected.
Software
Incorporating specific software code can increase the level of functionality of the PCB and, ultimately, the product. This phase often poses a dilemma where we must determine if the desired outcome can be better achieved through specific software code or hardware circuitry. So, it is important to balance the advantages and disadvantages of either approach.
Prototyping
Once the product design has been finalised we can begin working on a prototype. The type of prototype that is developed will depend on the product and the intended functionality and may, or may not, contain all the products features. You can find out more about the different types of prototypes in our article: Prototyping – What is it and do I need it?
Prototyping is a critical phase in the design process. It allows us to evaluate the overall product concept as well as validate our ideas and design assumptions. It also gives us an opportunity to explore the mechanical features so that we can ensure the best selection of parts and components.
Testing
Another critical part of the process is testing as it gives us an opportunity to identify any potential problems or flaws in the products design. By carrying out tests early in the process, we can resolve any issues and find alternative solutions ahead of compliance testing, saving both time spent and budget.
During the design phases special consideration is given to the types of tests that are required and how those tests might be completed in both the prototype stages and during batch manufacture. For example, we may add test points to the PCB to enable a bed of nails automated test rig to be used.
During the design and initial testing phase the engineers will methodically work through the design, testing and verifying the various parts of the system, one at a time. Items such as power rails will be brought up independently to ensure they are functioning correctly before running the system in its entirety. This ensures that no damage is caused to the PCB and that we can rectify any issues before they cause any knock-on effects.
Iterative Design
This is a cyclical process of prototyping, testing, analysing and refining the product. The aim of the process is to get closer to the solution with each repetition of the cycle. Using the results from the latest round of tests, we adjust and refine the product to ensure that it meets the technical requirements that were set out during the specification phase.
Compliance Directives & Standards
To ensure the safety of the end user all electrical products are subjected to thorough and vigorous compliance testing. The scope of directives and safety standards is vast and the electronic and mechanical make up of the product will dictate which compliance directives and standards need to be met.
Another consideration is whether you plan to launch your product abroad as regulations may vary between countries and you may be required to meet different or additional directives.
To ensure the best chance of passing compliance testing first time, we design all products and make suitable component selections with compliance testing and manufacture in mind.
Manufacture
The final stage of the design process is manufacture during which the tested a validated product is manufactured on either a large- or small-scale basis.
The first step in this process is to generate the necessary files needed to produce the product. These would typically include, PCB files or Gerber’s, a Bill of Materials (BOM), assembly and test instructions and any additional files such as mechanical design files.
These files are verified by the Production Team to ensure they contain the required information, in the correct format. The job is then loaded into the Production schedule.
PCB blanks and components are ordered from our trusted partners and any tooling that is required such as a paste stencil is also ordered. Once these items have arrived the files and components are loaded onto the pick and place machine(s) and the engineers will run a batch of PCBs through the semi-automated production process, including stencil printing, placement, reflow and inspection.
Once the PCBs have been produced and have passed inspection the boards as tested using the test procedure provided. They are then assembled into an enclosure, mechanical assembly or boxed with their cables and instructions leaflets as required. All items are then put through quality control before being packed and shipped.
Over the course of the following expert articles, we will explore each of these phases in technical detail including what is expected during each phase, how key decisions and selections are made, and the intended output at the end of each phase.
Cubik Innovation are delighted to announce the promotion of not one but two members of our team. Camilla Saunders has been promoted from Finance Manager to Business Manager. As well as continuing with her usual finance and HR duties, Camilla is now responsible for managing the Business Team which includes Admin, Project Management and Marketing.
Phil Potter makes the move from Principle Design Engineer to Design Manager and is now responsible for the management of our Design Team.
Speaking about the change in Cubik’s team structure, Sam Beard (Operations Director) said:
“Having Camilla and Phil join Steve (Production Manager) as department managers means that for the first time in Cubik’s history we have a full management team without Paul or myself acting as stand ins. This gives the business great stability and ensures team members have direct access to someone who can answer their questions and provide support. It also gives Paul and I a team that can help drive the individual departments, and therefore the overall business, forward for the future.
I look forward to getting stuck into making Cubik as good as it can be with them on board."
Camilla previously worked as a Finance Manager for Propaganda Promotions Ltd and prior to that spent 14 years at a waste paper brokerage where she worked in administration. When the Accounts Administrator left, Camilla asked if she could take over the role as she had a finance background from university and was keen to use it. As the company grew, she took on the HR and Office Management responsibilities as well.
Since joining Cubik in 2017, Camilla has developed her role, taking on the HR function and working closely with the Managing and Operations Directors to steer the business.
“As Cubik’s first in house Finance Manager, I have been able to put my own stamp on the role and really make it my own. There was already a good system in place, set up by Paul and an outsourced accountant, so it was an easy job to take on.
I remember telling Paul that my passions at work are people and numbers and I feel very fortunate to be able to combine these in my new role. As I am already looking after HR it seemed a natural progression to take the role of Business Manager. I am lucky that I have been working closely with everyone in the team for a reasonably long time now, so I already know what a lovely bunch of people they are.
My new role will be an opportunity to get even more involved in the team, and the wider business, than I already am. I love working with people and am good at recognising people’s strengths. Hopefully, this means I will be able to help with business development and the career development of the individual members of my team.”
After working with Cubik many times on a contract basis, Phil became an official Cubite in January 2019. Prior to that, he worked for a number of companies as a contractor, specialising in electronic and embedded software design.
Since joining Cubik as Principle Design Engineer, Phil has worked on several of Cubik’s most exciting projects. He has brought new ideas and direction to the Design Team and business as a whole and has helped to enhance an already great working atmosphere.
“Over the past year, as the business has grown, my role as Principle Design Engineer has naturally developed too. I have taken on more managerial responsibilities to ensure the smooth running of the Design Team and have been working alongside the Project Managers on quotations and proposals. So, my new role will formalise much of the work I have already been doing.
Obviously, these are challenging times for us all. But now that we are back in the office and returning to some form of ‘normal’, I am looking forward to expanding the Design Team and helping Cubik win exciting projects.”
.jpg)
.svg){kind=small}
