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The difference between the US and China is automation. Same is true of India. I've sent designs overseas that can be made by hand cheaper than they can be mad

by fnid2 17y ago

The difference between the US and China is automation. Same is true of India. I've sent designs overseas that can be made by hand cheaper than they can be made in the U.S. with machines. In this respect, off shoring manufacturing enables a greater range of innovation at much lower risk. I can build 1000 widgets overseas for $1 each, but I can't even get 1000 widgets in the u.s. due to the cost of the machines to make them. The reason the US is still the powerhouse of manufacturing is because they manufacture simple and common devices like screws, springs, etc with machines. These devices have been used for decades and a market has been established for them. The devices, many of them anyway, made in china are on the edge of innovation, whereas the items from the U.S. are older commodity items used in many devices, that is, components of complex devices, rather than the complex device itself.

rjurney 17y ago
Do you have links on this stuff? I get what you're saying, and want a deeper understanding of the types of manufacturing/costs of prototyping in the US/elsewhere?
- fnid2 17y ago
  No links, just personal experience from some small run textile products. I found several factories in India and Bangladesh who all sent me free samples. I called many US factories who make similar products and I got nowhere with any of them. Wouldn't return calls. Wouldn't follow up. Couldn't give me estimates for costs and none would make a sample. It seemed like they thought I was wasting their time. However, overseas, they were all eager and willing to do the work. The factory I went with sent us several examples and worked with us diligently to modify the design to meet our needs/desires. We are getting our first order shipped this month! :)
  - rjurney 17y ago
    What did you use to source manufacturers, MFG.com or something?
iskander 17y ago
>In this respect, off shoring manufacturing enables a greater range of innovation at much lower risk. I can build 1000 widgets overseas for $1 each, but I can't even get 1000 widgets in the u.s. due to the cost of the machines to make them. >The reason the US is still the powerhouse of manufacturing is because they manufacture simple and common devices like screws, springs, etc with machines. Your claims strongly contradict my experience. I worked for a manufacturing school in Chicago and learned a bit about the machining/manufacturing market. In the Chicago area alone there are thousands of computerized manufacturing shops on all scales. The smaller shops are often a dozen Polish guys, some CAD software and a few CNC machines. They will happily make your 1000 widgets. These shops survive specifically because Chinese manufacturing only deals with massive volume and is not nearly as reliable. They don't make "simple and common devices" but rather complicated parts for cars, airplanes, consumer devices, pieces of larger scale manufacturing equipment, etc... edit: I see from your other post that you work with textiles-- that's probably a very different market than the precision parts manufacturing I'm familiar with.
- lfgmikujhygfv 17y ago
  >I see from your other post that you work with textiles There is a Spanish high st fashion chain that specialize in very lean manufacturing, if an item becomes unpopular they don't sell it the next week. An new item takes a couple of weeks from design to the stores. Rather than the annual cycle in most textiles They manufacture in europe, but make money from never making an item that doesn't sell.
  - blrgeek 17y ago
    http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4652.html http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4652.html Zara supply chain ---> mass-manufacturing * lead-time Vs lean manufacturing * cost Applies to almost all industries. Difference is if you want a million of the same thing, or thousand of a thousand things.
lfgmikujhygfv 17y ago
That's just part of engineering. If you intend to manufacture in Eu/US you have snap together parts - much more expensive mould tools but quicker assembly. If you are manufacturing in china you use screws, cheaper tooling but more man hours to assemble. There is a whole industry of cost reduction engineering to optimize for this.

by fnid2 17y ago

rjurney 17y ago

Do you have links on this stuff? I get what you're saying, and want a deeper understanding of the types of manufacturing/costs of prototyping in the US/elsewhere?

fnid2 17y ago
No links, just personal experience from some small run textile products. I found several factories in India and Bangladesh who all sent me free samples. I called many US factories who make similar products and I got nowhere with any of them. Wouldn't return calls. Wouldn't follow up. Couldn't give me estimates for costs and none would make a sample. It seemed like they thought I was wasting their time. However, overseas, they were all eager and willing to do the work. The factory I went with sent us several examples and worked with us diligently to modify the design to meet our needs/desires. We are getting our first order shipped this month! :)
- rjurney 17y ago
  What did you use to source manufacturers, MFG.com or something?

iskander 17y ago

>In this respect, off shoring manufacturing enables a greater range of innovation at much lower risk. I can build 1000 widgets overseas for $1 each, but I can't even get 1000 widgets in the u.s. due to the cost of the machines to make them. >The reason the US is still the powerhouse of manufacturing is because they manufacture simple and common devices like screws, springs, etc with machines. Your claims strongly contradict my experience. I worked for a manufacturing school in Chicago and learned a bit about the machining/manufacturing market. In the Chicago area alone there are thousands of computerized manufacturing shops on all scales. The smaller shops are often a dozen Polish guys, some CAD software and a few CNC machines. They will happily make your 1000 widgets. These shops survive specifically because Chinese manufacturing only deals with massive volume and is not nearly as reliable. They don't make "simple and common devices" but rather complicated parts for cars, airplanes, consumer devices, pieces of larger scale manufacturing equipment, etc... edit: I see from your other post that you work with textiles-- that's probably a very different market than the precision parts manufacturing I'm familiar with.

lfgmikujhygfv 17y ago
>I see from your other post that you work with textiles There is a Spanish high st fashion chain that specialize in very lean manufacturing, if an item becomes unpopular they don't sell it the next week. An new item takes a couple of weeks from design to the stores. Rather than the annual cycle in most textiles They manufacture in europe, but make money from never making an item that doesn't sell.
- blrgeek 17y ago
  http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4652.html http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4652.html Zara supply chain ---> mass-manufacturing * lead-time Vs lean manufacturing * cost Applies to almost all industries. Difference is if you want a million of the same thing, or thousand of a thousand things.

lfgmikujhygfv 17y ago

That's just part of engineering. If you intend to manufacture in Eu/US you have snap together parts - much more expensive mould tools but quicker assembly. If you are manufacturing in china you use screws, cheaper tooling but more man hours to assemble. There is a whole industry of cost reduction engineering to optimize for this.