In the modern world, the scale of technology availability and the pace of development is truly astounding. But as consumers, we don’t often stop to consider the actual effort that goes into producing these goods, let alone the journey it goes on to make its way into our hands. 

 

If we then focus our attention towards high-performance technology, and use the example of MEMS inertial sensors, an astonishing amount of resources and investment is actually required to sustain the manufacture of these devices. For those that are unfamiliar, inertial sensors generally refer to the class of sensors that are used to measure motion, typically linear acceleration (accelerometers) and angular velocity (gyroscopes). What makes these products so amazing are the exacting demands of many markets they must meet, which can include robotics, marine, aerospace, defence, and more. At first look, this might seem achievable, but when you transition into high-volume markets, everything changes. 

 

Having the capability to produce at this scale isn’t something that a business can develop overnight, it takes years of planning and problem-solving. Acquiring a production facility, purchasing the machinery, and hiring staff to operate it is only one part of the puzzle. To meet the demands of multiple markets, years of research, refinement, and process improvements are required; and yet this is before even considering the complex standards imposed by certain industries and applications.

 

Not only does it require a significant amount of time, but supporting this level of production is also not cheap, requiring sustained investment into capital equipment. If you were to decide on setting up your own MEMS facility, costs could run anywhere from $150 million - $250 million to cover the facilities, machinery and other equipment needed. You would also have to consider that each year, market standards raise, and to stay relevant, millions of dollars need to be spent upgrading and maintaining machines as well as adding new and improved products to your portfolio. Many think that operating in a high-volume market means slowing innovation but consider this; having a high output means large volumes of data, allowing you to gain a better understanding of the product’s characteristics and the ways in which manufacturing processes and equipment affect quality and yield. This data can then be used to inform future product design considerations.

 

Arguably, the most critical factor in high-volume, high-quality production is the people behind it. Beyond the machines and the technology lies a network of highly skilled engineers, technicians, and long-standing partners. You may think to yourself that acquiring a workforce would be easy, but when you operate in a technical niche, it could quickly become an ordeal. You can’t just compromise on the workforce’s skill and expertise. At this scale, operators and technicians need to have a complex understanding of the production processes to ensure quality at every stage, as every mistake can impact the success of the business and their partners. Few companies manage to overcome these challenges, and one in particular, Silicon Sensing, has just announced a production milestone of over 30 million sensors. 

 

Ultimately, manufacturing and supplying 30 million high-performance sensors demands far more than just the physical infrastructure. It requires a long-term commitment to serve a market, large financial investment and a great degree of expertise. The ability to scale production to these levels while maintaining exceptional quality takes years of refining processes, working with customers, and innovating within the business. Companies succeed not just because they meet demand, but because they create products built on a foundation of years of experience which meet the exacting requirements of the markets they serve. This is what it truly takes to operate, and thrive, at this scale.