In our personal lives, long-term and valuable relationships are rarely formed based on a single attribute. The same goes for having a productive relationship with a contract manufacturer. While there are numerous benefits to outsourcing manufacturing, it's critical that you select the right partner. To do so, there are also many factors to consider (hint: not just price).

The COVID-19 pandemic has swiftly and drastically changed the lives of millions of people around the world. It has also put a spotlight on the fragility of our healthcare system. In addition to implementing social distancing practices and adequate testing, a major concern is protecting patients and frontline medical professionals inside of healthcare facilities.

The more innovative and unique your product is, the more likely that you will need to create new components that aren’t readily available. This may sound like a daunting task, but it’s actually quite practical through custom materials converting. Custom converting is an overarching term that applies to any process that modifies original material to suit your product design. It can be as simple as slicing a sheet of material to a different size, or as complex as combining multiples processes to create an innovative, fully operational product. While the possibilities of custom converting are virtually endless, there are a handful of popular processes you can use.

In both life and product development, simple is usually better. If your product needs to monitor or indicate a change of a specific environmental factor, electronic sensors could get the job done – but they can be bulky, complicated, and expensive. A simpler and smarter product solution may be a printed indicator. Featuring special colorimetric inks, these indicators change color in response to the presence or change of an environmental factor. Since they're printed, they can be applied directly to products or included in packaging – making them cost-efficient and easy to implement. Here are 5 common uses for printed indicators.

There's no denying that wearable technology has revolutionized the medical device market. Whether for counting steps or monitoring cardiac rhythm, wearables can help people stay healthy and improve clinical outcomes. However, for as far as wearable technology has advanced, most products are still rigid, sometimes bulky devices that are worn by the user – not directly attached to the body. That means there's an opportunity to take wearables to the next level with electronic skin patches. In fact, according to IDTechEx, revenue from electronic skin patches will grow to $20B by 2029.

While developing a product, a label may be the last component you think about – but it is often the first one your user will see or experience. For this reason, and more, creating the right label should not be an afterthought. In fact, with the right partner, a high-quality printed label can enhance your product in many ways.

What makes a good product? You can argue that it has to be functional, easy-to-use, durable, or innovative. These are all excellent traits. But one undebatable attribute that every product must have is safety. No matter your industry, the safety of your product is something you have to consider – and perhaps even demonstrate. One of the best ways to do both is by getting your product certified by UL. But before you can put the prestigious circle mark on your product, you also have to make sure that your printer is approved by UL.

From toothpaste to cars to mobile phones, when it comes to buying almost any product these days, there’s no shortage of choices. But sometimes having so many options in front of you can be confusing and even overwhelming. The same thing can be said about choosing an industrial printing method. Printing is a very general term because it includes any process that transfers an original image – such as a film negative or positive, electronic memory, stencil, die, or plate – to paper or another substrate. This can be done on the product itself or the packaging. There are numerous printing methods and technologies available to manufacturers – and each has its unique strengths and benefits. Here is a quick guide on how to determine the best printing solution for your application.

When you hear the word “printing,” what comes to mind? You likely imagine some type of graphical printing where ink is placed on a substrate for artistic purposes or to convey static information. There are countless applications for this method of printing, from business cards to apparel to packaging to signage. However, there is another type of printing that is rapidly growing yet still underutilized by manufacturers – functional printing, sometimes referred to as industrial printing. With advancements in technology, functional printing has the potential to improve quality, shorten production time, and reduce labor costs.

Product designers are continually challenged to develop the “next big thing.” However, novel products call for new, complex components. That leaves OEMs with two options: either invest in additional equipment and labor to manufacture the components in-house, or outsource the task to a custom materials converter. More and more, forward-thinking companies are opting for the latter. In this article, we’ll discuss the advantages of partnering with an experienced converter.