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ApplicationsBox build applications: the products Vietnamese factories assemble
Industrial controls, IoT devices, medical electronics enclosures, power supplies and cable assemblies. For each product type: what the build includes, the standards to name in your brief and the production tests that decide the quote. Send one RFQ and we match it with up to 3 factories with a track record in that product family, within 24 business hours.
Build content, standards and production tests
Typical combinations for planning a brief. The standards your product must meet are set by your market and your compliance team; the factory builds and tests to what you specify.
| Application | Typical products | What the build includes | Standards to name in the brief | Typical production tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial controls | PLC and controller enclosures, HMI units, control panels, edge gateways, motor drive boxes | PCBA, DIN rail and panel wiring, terminal blocks, sheet metal enclosure, labels | IEC 61010-1 or IEC 62368-1 by product; UL 508A or IEC 61439 for panels | Functional test, I/O check, hi-pot on mains wiring, burn-in |
| IoT devices | Gateways, smart home hubs, sensors, trackers, Wi-Fi and LoRa nodes | PCBA with radio module, plastic housing, battery, antenna, firmware load | IEC 62368-1; radio and EMC rules of each market (FCC, CE RED) | Functional and RF test, current draw, provisioning and serial number |
| Medical electronics enclosures | Monitoring accessories, lab and diagnostic instruments, home-use and therapy devices | PCBA, enclosure, harness, display, labels with traceability records | IEC 60601-1 or IEC 61010-1 per device; the device file stays with the owner | Functional test, hi-pot and leakage per your spec, device history record |
| Power supplies | AC-DC and DC-DC units, chargers, LED drivers, power modules, EV charger sub-assemblies | PCBA with magnetics, heatsinks, potting or coating, metal or plastic case | IEC 62368-1 or IEC 61558 by product; efficiency rules per market | Hi-pot, load and efficiency test, burn-in under load |
| Cable assemblies | Wire harnesses, power and signal cables, overmolded cables, box wiring kits | Cut, strip, crimp, terminate, shrink, braid, overmold, label | IPC/WHMA-A-620 workmanship class; UL style wire where required | 100 percent continuity, crimp pull test, hi-pot where specified |
Workmanship is set separately from product safety: IPC-A-610 for assembled boards and IPC/WHMA-A-620 for cables and harnesses, each in Class 1, 2 or 3. Background: IPC (electronics).
The points each product type turns on
Industrial controls
Controllers and panels mix PCBA with heavy wiring. The brief needs the wiring diagram, wire types and colors, terminal and torque specs plus the panel standard. A listed panel needs a shop that holds its own listing, which you verify. Control panel guide
IoT devices
Volume is high and margins are thin, so production test time and provisioning decide cost. Brief the RF test, how keys and serial numbers are loaded and how failed units are handled. Radio approvals use your certified module or your test report. IoT assembly guide
Medical electronics enclosures
Records matter as much as the build: lot traceability, device history records, change control and audit rights in a quality agreement. Define your device class first; it sets how much supplier control you need. Medical box build guide
Power supplies
Safety tests run on every unit: hi-pot between primary and secondary, plus load and burn-in to catch early failures. Brief creepage and clearance critical parts, potting or coating areas and the approved transformer source. Power electronics guide
Cable assemblies
Harness cost is driven by the number of terminations and by tooling: applicators for each terminal, overmold tools and test boards. Name the wire style, gauge, terminals and the IPC/WHMA-A-620 class, and ask for crimp pull test records. Harness guide
Other product families
- Consumer audio and smart home devices
- Battery-powered trackers, wearables and scanners
- Display modules, kiosks and POS terminals
- EV chargers and power electronics
Production tests by application
Test steps are where box build quotes differ most. Write down which tests run on every unit and which on a sample, and who supplies the fixtures. More in the test strategy guide.
| Test | What it finds | Where it is common |
|---|---|---|
| AOI and ICT or flying probe | Solder and placement faults, wrong or missing parts | Every PCBA, before box build |
| Functional test | Units that do not work as specified | All applications, on a fixture you approve |
| Hi-pot (dielectric withstand) | Insulation faults between live and accessible parts | Power supplies, mains-connected controls, medical devices |
| Burn-in | Early life failures | Power supplies, industrial controls, high reliability builds |
| RF and current test | Weak radios, high sleep current | IoT devices, battery-powered products |
| Continuity and pull test | Open, short and mis-wired circuits, weak crimps | Cable assemblies and harnesses |
Application questions
Which IPC class should I specify for my product?
Class 2 suits most industrial, IoT and power products where long life is wanted but brief downtime is acceptable. Class 3 is for products that must work every time, such as some medical and safety equipment. Specify the class for PCBA (IPC-A-610) and for cables (IPC/WHMA-A-620) separately, since they can differ.
Can a Vietnamese factory build medical electronics?
Contract factories in Vietnam build lower-risk medical electronics such as accessories, lab instruments and home-use devices. If your device needs a supplier certified to ISO 13485, say so in the RFQ: ask each factory for the certificate and verify it with the issuing body. We match you with up to 3 factories and the regulatory file for the device stays with you.
Who is responsible for product safety approvals?
You are, as the product owner. The factory builds to your drawings, test spec and approved parts list, and runs the production tests you define, such as hi-pot. Listings and certificates such as UL, CE or a CB report belong to your product, so any part or process change must go through your change control.
Can one factory build the boards, the cables and the box?
Often yes. Many Vietnamese EMS factories run SMT, cable assembly and final assembly in one plant, while plastic and sheet metal enclosures usually come from partner shops. Describe every work package in one RFQ so each matched factory quotes the same scope.
Scope levels and planning figures: box build assembly in Vietnam. Boards, harnesses and enclosures as work packages: EMS contract manufacturing. Workmanship classes: IPC-A-610 class guide.