Prototype to Production · Ann Arbor, MI

Prototype to Production for Ann Arbor, MI.

Contract manufacturing for Ann Arbor engineering teams across prototype-to-production. Prototype through production. Network certifications: AS9100 · ISO 9001 · ITAR · IPC.

What we help with — Prototype to Production

Prototype to Production sourcing for Ann Arbor programs

End-to-end support from quick-turn prototypes through bridge builds and long-term production runs.

Our prototype-to-production programs are structured around the reality that the shop that's right for your first 5 boards is rarely the shop that's right for your 5,000th. We start with quick-turn prototype partners — 24-48 hour PCB fab, 5-day PCBA, 7-day CNC — to get hardware in engineers' hands while the design is still moving. Once the design is stable, we transition into bridge production with a mid-volume EMS or machine shop that can absorb engineering changes without re-tooling cost. From there, we move into sustained production with a partner sized for your annual volume, with full DFM/DFT review, supply-chain hardening on long-lead components, and lifecycle management on resin grades, connectors, and ICs. The handoff between stages is the part that breaks most programs and the part SmartFab manages — keeping the BOM, AVL, and test plan aligned across multiple shops so the product that ships in year three is the product that was qualified in year one.

Why SmartFab

Why Ann Arbor teams source prototype-to-production through SmartFab

One RFQ, one accountable partner

One prototype-to-production RFQ from Ann Arbor returns one accountable manufacturing quote — sized for your volume, your certifications, and your lead time.

Supply chain headache, eliminated

We own sourcing, production, and follow-up on every Ann Arbor prototype-to-production program so your team ships product instead of chasing shops.

Better supplier fit

The shop that builds your prototype is rarely the right shop for production — and the handoff is where most programs lose time and money. For Ann Arbor programs in autonomous vehicles, that means placing the build on a line with the right certifications and volume profile from day one.

Build approach

Build approach for Ann Arbor prototype-to-production programs

When we route a prototype-to-production RFQ for a Ann Arbor customer, we evaluate the build against facilities in our network on three axes: certifications (does it need ISO 9001 baseline plus industry-specific (AS9100, ISO 13485)?), volume (prototype, low-volume, production), and lead time. Ann Arbor's university spin-outs and AV testing hub need partners that bridge research-grade prototyping and automotive-grade production — our Midwest bench is structured to hand programs off between those two worlds cleanly.

For autonomous vehicles programs in Ann Arbor, we typically return one accountable manufacturing quote within 24–48 hours.

Ann Arbor industries

Industries we build for in Ann Arbor with prototype-to-production

autonomous vehicles
autonomous vehicles + prototype-to-production

The shop that builds your prototype is rarely the right shop for production — and the handoff is where most programs lose time and money.

robotics & automation
robotics & automation + prototype-to-production

The shop that builds your prototype is rarely the right shop for production — and the handoff is where most programs lose time and money.

medical devices
medical devices + prototype-to-production

The shop that builds your prototype is rarely the right shop for production — and the handoff is where most programs lose time and money.

FAQ

Prototype to Production in Ann Arbor — questions

Ready to get your prototype-to-production build quoted for your Ann Arbor program?

Send your project to SmartFab and get a manufacturing quote from one accountable partner.

Submit RFQ