Electronics Prototyping & NPI Services

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Solutions · Prototyping

Prototypes built
to production standard

Prototypes and structured NPI, built on the same processes, IPC-A-610 workmanship and build records as volume production. Most builds take two to three weeks, depending on complexity.

Request a prototype quote
Order online

Prototyping · NPI · Pre-production

Prototype SMT line at NOTE in the UK

Your product’s lifecycle

Where prototyping sits
in your product’s life

  1. 01DevelopmentExplore →
  2. 02PrototypingYou are here
  3. 03SourcingExplore →
  4. 04ManufacturingExplore →
  5. 05After-sales and EOLExplore →

02 · Prototyping · You are here

PCBA prototypes and NPI, with functional test and a managed handover into volume production.

Next stage: Sourcing →

What we do at this stage

Prototyping services
at NOTE

Prototypes are built on the same lines, to the same standards, as volume production, so what you test is what you will get. Our six UK sites in Windsor, Haddenham, Basildon, Wolverhampton, Hook and Poynton take your product from first build to full production.

Talk to our team

01

Prototype
builds

Prototype PCBAs and assemblies built to production-standard processes: SMT, through-hole, mixed technology and box build. Most builds take two to three weeks, with IPC-A-610 workmanship and build records from the first board.

02

New product
introduction (NPI)

A structured route from prototype to volume. Our engineers carry out DfM and design for test (DfT) reviews before the first build, picking up issues that would affect yield, cost or test coverage.

03

Pre-production
builds

Before volume production, we source and qualify components, run pilot builds, carry out first article inspection and confirm the test strategy, so the handover into full production is documented and de-risked.

04

Online
prototyping

For straightforward prototypes, order directly through our online service at note-prototyping.co.uk: instant quotes, BoM upload and a dispatch date you choose.

Prototype production line at NOTE in the UK

Why prototype with us

Why prototype with
your volume manufacturer

01

Production standard
from the first build

Same processes, IPC-A-610 workmanship and build records as volume, so your test results mean something.

02

Built in two
to three weeks

Most prototype builds take two to three weeks, depending on complexity.

03

Problems found
before volume

DfM and DfT reviews ahead of the first build pick up issues while they are still cheap to fix.

04

No handover to
a new supplier

The team that builds your prototypes manages your production ramp. No knowledge transfer, no re-qualification.

Prefer to order online?

Order a prototype
online in six steps

Get a quote

  1. Log in and get an instant quote
  2. Upload your BoM, with smart component matching
  3. Specify your PCB requirements

Place your order

  1. Pick your dispatch date, with transparent pricing
  2. Upload your Gerber and pick-and-place data
  3. Place your order by card or BACS, with progress updates as it moves

Go to note-prototyping.co.uk →

Next stage · 03

Sourcing

Once your prototype is proven, we secure the components for volume, through local and global sourcing and managed material supply.

Explore Sourcing →

What Our Customers Say

  • Medical device NPI

    NOTE’s DfM review before our first prototype build caught a footprint error that would have forced a board respin. That single conversation saved us six weeks and a significant redesign cost.
    Director of Engineering,
    Medical Device OEM

  • Industrial electronics

    We prototyped with NOTE in the UK and went straight to volume with the same team. No re-qualification, no knowledge transfer meeting, no surprises. That continuity is something you don’t realise you need until you’ve experienced the alternative.
    Head of Operations,
    Industrial Controls Manufacturer

  • Communications: IoT

    NOTE in the UK turned around our first prototype build in under two weeks. The build quality was production standard from day one, which meant our design validation results were actually meaningful.
    VP Operations,
    IoT Solutions Provider

Frequently asked questions
Electronics prototyping

A: Most prototype builds at NOTE in the UK take two to three weeks, depending on complexity. They use the same production-standard processes, IPC-A-610 workmanship and quality documentation as volume programmes.

A: NPI stands for new product introduction: the structured process of taking an electronics design from prototype to production-ready. It covers DfM and DfT review, prototype builds, first article inspection, test strategy, component qualification and a documented handover into volume production.

A: A DfM review checks your PCB layout and component choices against the manufacturing process before any boards are built. At the prototype stage it picks up issues that would hurt yield, add cost or force design changes at volume, when they are far more expensive to fix.

A: Yes. The same engineering and quality team that builds your prototype manages your production ramp across our six UK sites in Windsor, Haddenham, Basildon, Wolverhampton, Hook and Poynton. There is no knowledge transfer, no re-qualification and no delay when volumes grow.

A: Yes. For straightforward prototypes, our online service at note-prototyping.co.uk takes you through six steps: log in for an instant quote, upload your BoM, specify your PCB, pick a dispatch date, upload your Gerber and pick-and-place data, and pay by card or BACS.

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