Episode 153: Contract Manufacturing Best Practices with Adrian Leal

If you're part of the electronics landscape, you've likely encountered the role contract manufacturers play — and it's a critical one. These specialized partners bridge the gap between design innovation and full-scale production, bringing efficiency, expertise, and flexibility to the table.As companies seek to meet growing demand for advanced electronic products, contract manufacturers are increasingly relied upon to provide cost-effective, high-quality assembly services. Whether it's managing supply chains, ensuring compliance with industry standards, or accelerating time to market, their contributions have become indispensable. In today's episode, we'll explore how contract manufacturing works, why it's so vital, and what trends are shaping the future of this essential industry.My guest today is Adrian Leal. Adrian serves as the USA Business Development Manager for Teltonika EMS and is the President of the Houston SMTA Chapter. With over 30 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, he has worked extensively as both an end user and a service provider. Throughout his career, he has held diverse roles including process engineer, manufacturing engineer, quality engineer, field engineer, and sales engineer.In 2003, Adrian became the first engineer from the oil and gas industry to earn the prestigious Process Engineer certification from the SMTA. From 2006 to 2015, he voluntarily took on the role of ESD Subject Matter Expert for SLB, where he developed an internal ESD program that remains in use today.If you’re in Texas, you may know Adrian from his involvement in Cup of Joey networking events.I’ll talk with Adrian about his transition from an OEM to a contract manufacturer and his recommendations on how to choose the most appropriate contract manufacturer for your needs.Adrian’s contact information:Adrian Lealadrian.leal@teltonika-iot.comhttps://teltonika-iot-group.com

Om Podcasten

Reliability Matters is a podcast on the subject of reliability of circuit assemblies. Reliability "best practices" and success stories are discussed. This podcast features interviews with experts in the electronic assembly industry.All electronic production segments which effect product reliability are on the table. This includes contamination, coating, cleanliness assessment, inspection, building for harsh environments, reflow, printing, failure analysis, board fabrication, and much more.Your Host:Mike Konrad began his career in the electronic assembly equipment industry in 1985. Mike founded Aqueous Technologies in 1992 in response to the Montreal Protocol and the resulting international treaty banning most popular cleaning/defluxing solvents. Mike is an internationally known speaker on the subject of increasing reliability through contamination removal and cleanliness quantification techniques and procedures. Mike was awarded “Distinguish Speaker Status” with SMTA in 2018 and received the “Rich Freiberger Best of Conference Award” in 2019.Mike is a member of the SMTA Global Board of Directors where he is Vice President of Communications. Mike is also Vice President of Technical Programs for the Los Angeles / Orange County SMTA Chapter.Visit the Reliability Matters Podcast Website:https://www.reliabilitymatterspodcast.com