OEM process guide<\/a> describe exactly how we run.<\/p>\nFrequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
These are the questions buyers ask most when choosing between a white label GaN charger GaN charger program and full ODM, answered the way we answer them on calls.<\/p>\n
What is the difference between white label and OEM?<\/h3>\n
White label means the factory owns the design and you brand a finished catalog unit \u2014 nothing in the hardware changes. OEM, as buyers use the term, means the factory adapts an existing platform to your requirement: a logo, a housing color, an output profile tweak. In charger manufacturing the useful distinction is not the acronym but the bill of work: white label changes the branding layer only, OEM changes the product within an existing design, and ODM develops a new design. Ask who pays for the change and who owns the result \u2014 those two answers define the level better than any label.<\/p>\n
What MOQ does white label need compared with ODM?<\/h3>\n
At Paiyi Power, white label and modified standard start at MOQ 200 pcs per model, because the platform, tool and test limits already exist and no engineering is being amortized. Full custom ODM starts at 500\u20131,000 pcs, because development, tooling and certification fees are carried by the buyer and only pay back at that volume. Semi-custom builds with new enclosure tooling sit between the two. If a vendor quotes a two-digit MOQ for a genuine ODM build, assume the development is not really happening or is being recovered elsewhere in the unit price.<\/p>\n
Who pays for tooling and certification at each level?<\/h3>\n
The buyer carries development, tooling and certification fees at every level where they arise \u2014 that is stated plainly in our quotes. At white label there is nothing to fund: the catalog model ships under the factory’s existing CE\/CB\/FCC\/RoHS\/ErP certificates. Modified standard may add delta paperwork on the existing CB (IECEE) file when a variant needs its own report, plus packaging plates for custom boxes. Full ODM funds the whole stack: development, a new housing tool and a fresh certification scheme, with UL\/ETL\/UKCA and other national marks always buyer-funded on a project basis.<\/p>\n
Can I change the housing color or add my logo at 200 pcs?<\/h3>\n
Yes \u2014 that is exactly the modified-standard level. A housing color change or a pad-printed logo on an existing platform starts at MOQ 200 pcs per model, with sampling in about 7 days and mass production 5\u20136 weeks after sample approval. The color or logo creates a variant with its own BOM line and pilot verification, so expect a signed golden sample and a small NRE for the artwork and first-article checks. What a 200-pc order will not carry is a new enclosure tool \u2014 that belongs to semi-custom or full ODM volumes.<\/p>\n
How long does each customization level take?<\/h3>\n
White label is fastest: an ex-stock sample, then 5\u20136 weeks of mass production after approval, roughly 6\u20137 weeks from purchase order to shipment. Modified standard adds about 7 days of sampling and possible delta certification paperwork, so plan 7\u20138 weeks. Full ODM takes 2\u20134 weeks of sampling plus tooling trials and a fresh certification application running in parallel, so 9\u201312 weeks is the honest range. Production time itself is the same at every level \u2014 5\u20136 weeks after sample approval \u2014 which is why sample approval discipline matters more than factory speed.<\/p>\n
Who owns the design and tooling IP?<\/h3>\n
Ownership follows the money. At white label the factory owns the platform, tool, firmware and certificates; your brand lives on the label and packaging only. At modified standard the design stays with the factory, but your artwork and logo are yours. At semi-custom and full ODM, tools and designs the buyer funded belong to the buyer on payment \u2014 put a tooling-ownership clause in the contract, and for full ODM require the schematic, BOM, firmware source and test limits as deliverables at project close. What the factory retains is the platform know-how behind builds you did not fund.<\/p>\n
Can I start with white label and move to ODM later?<\/h3>\n
Yes, and it is the route most experienced buyers take. Starting at white label or modified standard gets a proven platform to market at MOQ 200 pcs with minimal cash exposed, and the sales data from the first runs tells you whether a custom output map or housing is worth funding. Keep the specification document alive as you learn, and climb one level at a time: modified standard, then semi-custom tooling, then full ODM at 500\u20131,000 pcs when the volume justifies it. The reverse \u2014 starting at full ODM on a first product \u2014 is the expensive way to learn the same lessons.<\/p>\n
What firmware changes are possible without a full redesign?<\/h3>\n
On a proven platform, modest firmware changes are realistic without touching the PCB: port prioritization on a multi-port unit, output caps per port, LED behavior and minor protocol parameter settings within the PD 3.2 (SPR AVS) design envelope. These sit at modified standard, with the change verified on the pilot run and the ATE band updated to match. What is not realistic without a full ODM program is a different control architecture, proprietary fast-charge handshakes beyond the platform’s protocol set, or firmware features that need new silicon. Ask for the change list in writing and treat anything outside it as a new project.<\/p>\n
Which level is right for a first-time charger buyer?<\/h3>\n
Start at catalog white label or label-plus-packaging if a standard 65W\u2013100W unit meets your must-haves: lowest cash exposure, fastest route to market, and real sales data before you spend on tooling. Move to modified standard when a catalog unit cannot carry your brand requirement \u2014 a color, a logo, an output profile tweak \u2014 still at 200 pcs per model. Reserve full ODM for a feature no platform offers and volume that justifies buyer-funded development. First-time buyers who skip straight to ODM usually fund differentiation the market has not asked for yet; let order data make that case first.<\/p>\n