Manufacturing vs. Assembly in Mexico

If you’re ready to launch your product, it must be manufactured and/or assembled before it makes its way into the hands of customers. When it’s time to find a supply chain partner to bring your product to life, it’s important to choose a location that best benefits your business. Mexico is quickly becoming China’s top competitor due to shorter lead times, lower shipping costs, and higher quality work. If you’re interested in learning more about Mexico contract manufacturing or assembly, our team can help. Here, we provide an overview of the differences between manufacturing and assembly: 

What is Assembly? 

Assembly and manufacturing are related, but these processes don’t always happen in the same location. Assembly refers to the practice of building a product with components that have already been manufactured. Assembly is often carried out in factories or workshops using methods such as welding, bolting, or gluing. In many cases, assembly is done by a machine. 

What is Manufacturing? 

Manufacturing is a more intricate process than assembly. In manufacturing, raw materials are converted into parts or components that will then be used to create a larger product. For example, manufacturing plants may produce materials such as metal springs that will be used in other products. 

Although the terms manufacturing and assembly are often used interchangeably, they’re not truly the same. For example, products with a high cost of production are often manufactured and assembled in one central plant whenever possible. Automobiles, for instance, are sometimes manufactured and assembled in one factory rather than in dispersed plants. Determining whether manufacturing and assembly will happen in the same location will largely depend upon the manufacturability and production cost of your project. 

If you’re interested in manufacturing your product in a neighboring country, our team would love to help. We began Mexico contract manufacturing more than 40 years ago, and have a long track record of producing high-quality products for a plethora of industries. Our goal is to provide a transparent process, and we’re always happy to give you our honest feedback about your manufacturing and assembly options. To learn more about how we operate and determine if we’re the right fit, please contact us. We’re looking forward to learning more about your project. 

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