The electronics industry encompasses a wide range of different manufacturing processes and products. The most visible products of the electronics industry are consumer goods such as television sets, music reproduction systems and computers. These visible products represent a tip of the iceberg situation as a large part of the electronics industry is concerned with the manufacture of the component parts of products.

The manufacture of switches, printed circuit boards, semiconductor devices and the assembly of complex computer systems are all aspects of the electronics industry. From the manufacturing point of view, the most important aspects of electronic components are those of their physical dimensions, their terminal connections, and their quality.