Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS): What you need to know
In today’s fast-moving tech landscape, many companies—especially original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or design houses—opt to partner with an Electronics Manufacturing Service (EMS) provider to handle the heavy lifting of electronics production. EMS encompasses the design, manufacture, testing and logistics of electronic assemblies and devices, allowing your business to focus on innovation, product design and market strategy rather than the complexities of manufacturing and compliance.
What is an EMS Manufacturer?
An EMS provider assumes responsibility for the complete production lifecycle: printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, component procurement, cabling, enclosure or housing, final assembly, testing, packaging, warehousing and distribution. This “one-stop shop” model — often called turnkey manufacturing — offers major advantages for B2B clients: reduced time-to-market, predictable costs, scalable production, and access to manufacturing expertise without needing to build an in-house facility.
By outsourcing to an EMS, companies avoid the cost and complexity of investing in capital-intensive equipment, personnel training, supply-chain management and ongoing regulatory compliance. Instead, they tap into a provider’s established manufacturing processes, supplier networks and quality control procedures.
What to expect from a quality EMS provider such as Duet Electronics.
A leading EMS provider such as Duet Electronics offers a full spectrum of services, including: design support; global purchasing; PCB assembly (Surface Mount Technology and through-hole); cable and mechanical assembly; conformal coating; low-pressure moulding or encapsulation; final assembly and testing; plus integrated logistics and inventory management.
Duet Electronics leverages advanced technologies: high-speed SMT pick-and-place lines capable of up to 120,000 placements per hour; automatic screen printing; multi-zone convection reflow ovens; 3D automatic optical inspection (AOI); X-ray inspection; and nitrogen selective soldering for RoHS-compliant through-hole work.
For clients requiring ruggedisation or environmental protection (e.g. medical, industrial, defence, mining or outdoor systems), Duet Electronics also offers over-moulding, potting or encapsulation, and conformal coating — processes designed to shield electronics from moisture, dust, vibration, and mechanical stress.
Regulatory and compliance standards in Australia
Working with an EMS provider in Australia means you should pay close attention to regulatory and safety standards. For electrical equipment supplied or manufactured in Australia, compliance with safety legislation is mandatory — including adherence to “electrically safe” requirements as defined under local electrical safety regulation frameworks such as the Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS). 1
As an EMS provider that services regulated industries (medical, defence, industrial control) Duet Electronics also hold quality-system certifications such as ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and, ISO 13485 (Medical Devices Quality Management), to ensure traceability, process consistency and documented quality control — essential for compliance, repeatability and audit readiness.
Beyond safety compliance, Duet Electronics also follows internal manufacturing and inspection standards (e.g. PCB assembly inspection specifications, production traceability, component-level quality control) to meet client and industry requirements, especially where failure could be costly.
What to consider when selecting your EMS partner
When evaluating your EMS provider, particularly in Australia, you should ask:
- Does the provider offer turnkey services from design and procurement through to final assembly and logistics?
- Are manufacturing processes up to date (modern SMT lines, RoHS-compliant soldering, inspection capabilities such as AOI and X-ray)?
- Does the provider hold appropriate certifications (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 13485) that align with your regulatory, safety and quality requirements?
- Can they support prototyping, small-batch (low-volume) production and scale up to larger runs?
- Does the provider understand and comply with local regulatory frameworks (e.g. electrical safety standards under EESS, EMC and other relevant standards)?
For businesses seeking to bring electronic products to market — whether in industrial control, medical, telecommunications, defence, or general electronics — partnering with Duet Electronics can yield major advantages: reduced capital expenditure, shorter lead times, regulatory compliance, and high-quality manufacturing. Duet Electronics provide a host of robust capabilities, modern manufacturing processes and strong quality and compliance credentials. Resulting in less risk for companies and their products during product development, accelerated time to market, and the ability to maintain focus on design and core business strategy rather than manufacturing.
For more information or to discuss your next project contact Duet Electronics.