What electronic manufacturing services mean for power electronics

In general, electronic manufacturing services cover design support, PCB assembly, testing, box-build assembly, logistics and sometimes after-sales repair for OEMs that don’t want to run their own factories. Typical EMS providers offer SMT/THT lines, inspection and test equipment, and supply-chain management for components and materials.

For power electronics OEMs, the picture is broader. You need thick copper layers, high-current magnetics, reliable coolers, sheet-metal cabinets that survive harsh environments, and clean cable routing inside control cabinets. TPS focuses on power electronics manufacturing, combining these disciplines into one stack so that your power supply or cabinet can be built, wired, and tested as a complete system rather than a collection of parts.

TPS manufacturing stack for power electronics at a glance

Our Shanghai production site is certified to IATF 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 13485, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, with UL 1446 insulation systems, giving you an automotive- and medical-grade quality backbone for industrial power applications.

On top of this quality system, TPS runs dedicated units for PCB assembly, winding goods, cooling and machining, sheet metal parts and cabinets, and cable & harness assembly. These departments work together on the same projects: from first prototypes to high-mix, low-volume series production typical in industrial markets.

PCB assembly services (SMT/THT) to IPC-A-610

TPS runs SMT and THT lines for power electronics PCBAs. A typical line includes stencil printers for solder paste, high-speed pick-and-place machines, reflow ovens with multiple temperature zones, and wave-soldering for through-hole parts, supported by solder-paste inspection, AOI and X-ray for BGAs and hidden joints.

Assemblies are built to IPC-A-610 “Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies”, the most widely used workmanship standard for electronic assemblies worldwide. The standard defines visual criteria for solder joints, component alignment, contamination and coating, giving everyone — from design engineers to quality inspectors — a common language for what “good” looks like.

For power electronics, our PCB assembly services routinely handle:

• mixed-technology boards with SMT control circuitry and THT power stages
• thick copper and wide traces for high current paths
• large terminals, busbars and connectors for cabinet wiring
• conformal coating, cleaning and coating inspection where required

Depending on your project, we can also integrate in-circuit testing (ICT), functional test fixtures and burn-in, so that PCBAs leave the line with electrical performance verified — ready to be wired into cabinets or racks.

For more detail you can link to the TPS EMS PCB capabilities page on the German site: PCB Assembly & EMS – SMT · THT · Mixed Technology.

R&D & engineering support for manufacturability

Manufacturing quality starts long before the first board reaches the line. Our engineering teams work with your designers on schematic reviews, layout guidelines and mechanical concepts. This design-for-manufacturing (DfM) and design-for-test (DfT) support helps you avoid needless re-spins and late changes during certification.

Typical activities include:

• checking creepage and clearance in high-voltage and reinforced insulation areas
• optimising pad geometries and thermal reliefs for large power components
• reviewing connector choices and pin assignments for cabinet wiring
• planning test points and interfaces so ICT or functional tests are realistic
• creating mechanical prototypes for brackets, heatsinks and cabinet modules

For US customers this engineering support comes with local contacts who can align with your design reviews and project milestones, while the actual manufacturing preparation is handled in our European and Asian facilities.

Winding goods: coils, chokes and transformers

Many power platforms cannot rely on catalogue magnetics alone. TPS operates dedicated magnetics lines for custom coils, common-mode and differential chokes, and transformers. Using programmable winding machines, we can produce anything from fine-wire signal coils to high-current inductors and HF transformers with complex winding structures.

A typical process for winding goods includes:

• selection of core material and bobbin type based on frequency, power and isolation class
• automatic or semi-automatic winding with layer control and tension monitoring
• tap connections, terminations and lead preparation for PCB or cable mounting
• impregnation, potting or over-moulding to improve thermal behavior and vibration resistance
• electrical tests: turns ratio, inductance, leakage, hipot and partial discharge as required

Combining magnetics with PCB assembly and cabinet wiring inside the same electronic manufacturing services stack makes it easier to co-ordinate mechanical footprints, creepage distances and EMC behaviour.

Coolers and water-cooling plates

High-density power stages generate heat that must be guided out of the system. TPS manufactures machined coolers and water-cooling plates in aluminium, copper and steel. Using CNC milling and drilling, we create flatness-controlled surfaces, mounting holes and internal channels that match your modules and cabinet layout.

Cooling parts can be delivered as stand-alone components or integrated into complete cabinets together with busbars, magnetics and wiring. Surface treatments such as anodising, powder coating or passivation are available where corrosion resistance or specific thermal properties are needed.

By keeping coolers, magnetics and cabinet design under one manufacturing roof, we can iterate quickly on bolt patterns, gasket lines and hose routing when thermal or EMC tests show that an adjustment is needed.

Metal parts, chassis and cabinets

Power electronics ultimately lives in metal: brackets that hold heavy transformers, sub-frames for PCB stacks, and full-size cabinets or 19" racks for industrial installations. TPS offers metal parts manufacturing and sheet metal fabrication for these parts — including laser cutting or punching, CNC bending, welding and surface finishing such as powder coating.

Typical cabinet-related processes include:

• cutting and bending sheet metal panels for doors, side-walls and mounting plates
• welding or riveting frames and sub-assemblies for structural stiffness
• integrating hinges, locks, cable entry systems and EMC-related details
• surface treatment for corrosion, conductivity and branding (colours, logos)

We can manufacture control cabinets according to CE or UL requirements and, if needed, ship partially assembled frames for you to complete locally, or provide fully wired plug-and-play cabinets.

For deeper technical content or future internal links, you can connect this section to the TPS sheet-metal product pages listed under Sheet Metal Processing.

Cable and harness assembly

Inside a control cabinet, cabling often decides whether technicians love or hate your product. TPS runs dedicated cable and harness assembly lines, starting with automated cut & strip machines, crimp applicators and housing insertion equipment for common connector families. Automated cable testers check continuity, insulation resistance or hipot according to your test plan.

Harness production at TPS follows IPC/WHMA-A-620 for cable and wire harness assemblies, the de-facto global standard that defines workmanship and inspection criteria for crimping, soldering, insulation support and labeling.

We build:

• AC input and DC output harnesses for power supplies and battery systems
• signal and communication harnesses for control, safety and measurement loops
• pre-terminated cable sets for control cabinet construction and field wiring
• labeled harnesses with documentation and routing drawings for ease of service

Because cable assembly is integrated with cabinet construction, we can route harnesses in 3D models or on prototype cabinets, adjust lengths and bundling, and then freeze the design into documented, repeatable harness sets.

Quality, standards & testing across the EMS chain

TPS combines process control with recognised industry standards. PCB assemblies are inspected according to IPC-A-610, cable harnesses follow IPC/WHMA-A-620, and the Shanghai factory quality system is certified to IATF 16949, ISO 9001 and ISO 13485, with ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 covering environment and occupational safety.

Depending on project requirements, we can add:

• in-circuit test (ICT) and functional test for PCBAs and assemblies
• burn-in or long-term load tests for power supplies and converters
• mechanical checks for cabinets, such as door operation and torque tightening
• electrical safety tests (hipot, insulation resistance, ground-bond) at system level

For many projects, manufacturing can be combined with TPS EMC & safety testing services, so design, production and certification stay in the same loop instead of being handled by disconnected partners.

How US customers work with TPS

For US teams, TPS acts as a bridge between local engineering and global production capacity. You work with English-speaking project managers and engineers, while manufacturing runs in our German and Chinese facilities that specialise in electronic manufacturing services for power electronics.

A typical project flow looks like this:

1. Initial brief & NDA – share block diagrams, target standards (UL/CE, IEC, EMC), volume expectations and timelines.
2. DfM & concept review – PCB, magnetics, cooling, cabinet and harness experts review your data and suggest optimisations.
3. Quotation & sourcing concept – you receive a detailed EMS quote covering PCB assembly, winding goods, coolers, metal parts and cable assembly.
4. Prototypes & pilot builds – first units are assembled, wired and tested; lessons learned are fed back into the design.
5. High-mix production – stable builds with documented processes, test coverage and change management.

At each stage you can decide whether TPS should deliver only PCBAs and magnetics, or complete cabinets with wiring, labelled harnesses and documentation.

FAQ: electronic manufacturing services for power electronics

What is included in TPS electronic manufacturing services?

TPS offers a full EMS stack for power electronics: PCB assembly (SMT/THT), magnetics and winding goods, coolers and water-cooling plates, sheet-metal parts and cabinets, cable & harness assembly, as well as testing, documentation and logistics. Projects can start with a single service and grow into complete cabinet or rack builds.

Can TPS handle both PCB assembly and cabinet wiring?

Yes. Many customers ask us to build PCBAs and magnetics first, then add cabinet and wiring once the design stabilises. We can deliver fully wired cabinets, partially assembled frames, or simply documented harness sets depending on how much integration you want to outsource.

Which standards do you follow for assembly quality?

PCBA workmanship is based on IPC-A-610; cable and harness assemblies follow IPC/WHMA-A-620. The underlying quality system is certified to IATF 16949, ISO 9001 and ISO 13485, with ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 for environment and occupational safety.

What volumes are a good fit?

TPS is optimised for high-mix, low-to-medium volumes typical of industrial and power electronics — from engineering prototypes and pilot runs to steady series production. If you share your expected volume ramp, we can align machine loading and test concepts accordingly.

Can you support EMC and safety certification?

Yes. The TPS group operates EMC and safety labs that can support pre-compliance and formal certification projects. Manufacturing feedback and test results can be aligned so that design changes are reflected both in hardware and in the documentation needed for approvals.