The term precision engineering is often mistakenly thought to apply only to low volume products, such as semiconductor wafer steppers or PCB pick and place machines. However precision implies a level of dimensional tolerance applied to any product, even high volume production. As the number of units manufactured per year increases, the ability to cost effectively maintain high levels of precision gets more difficult. For the purposes of this paper, the term "high volume" will apply to products produced in the range from hundreds to thousands of units per year. Typical industries that have production in this volume are medical, telecommunications, and industrial process management. These industries typically have business-to-business sales and have high enough margins to absorb the costs associated with manufacturing and assembly of high precision products. This paper will explore how principles of precision engineering can be applied to high volume product development.
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