5 ms·

What about Japan? I know they've lost most of their semiconductor business as well, but they still have some capacity no?

baybal2 8y ago
I don't know that.
hatergonnahate 8y ago
Japan was ruined mostly because of population problem years ago and (very) slowly recovering. I've saw a TV drama in 2016 (http://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/04/were-millennials-got-a-problem.html http://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/04/were-millennials-got...) basically describing what the younger generation is still struggling.
village-idiot 8y ago
I’m under the impression that China does not make chips, but they do final assembly cheaper and faster than everyone else. I don’t know if any companies do PCB manufacturing and assembly outside of China in large numbers.
- baybal2 8y ago
  Not exactly, PCB assembly is super cheap everywhere thanks to propagation of chipshooters, what makes the cost go up is logistics - what do you do after you populate the board for your part? Ship it across the world, or to another factory behind the corner?
  - hef19898 8y ago
    That largely depends on the size of your board and the total number you want to ship. As soon as you reach full truck loads or full container loads that additional shipping cost is marginal on a board level.
    - baybal2 8y ago
      But still, that complicates the whole operation immensely in comparison to "just go next city block"
      - hef19898 8y ago
        You are right in a certain way. What increases with distance is lead time and as result inventory. Both of which are off set by volume. Cross-border adds customs issues. Complexity is not that much of a problem nowadays, maybe it never was. You are right that all of this oblyakes sense with large numbers, small scale production is better done locally as a rule of thumb.
  - chasil 8y ago
    Sony production lines assemble Raspberry PIs in the UK: https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3014651/sonys-pencoed-factory-celebrates-five-year-pi-party-and-10-million-units-made https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3014651/sonys-penc...
- antoniuschan99 8y ago
  That is true I think because of what happened to ZTE earlier this year.

baybal2 8y ago

I don't know that.

hatergonnahate 8y ago

Japan was ruined mostly because of population problem years ago and (very) slowly recovering. I've saw a TV drama in 2016 (http://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/04/were-millennials-got-a-problem.html http://www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2016/04/were-millennials-got...) basically describing what the younger generation is still struggling.

village-idiot 8y ago

I’m under the impression that China does not make chips, but they do final assembly cheaper and faster than everyone else. I don’t know if any companies do PCB manufacturing and assembly outside of China in large numbers.

baybal2 8y ago
Not exactly, PCB assembly is super cheap everywhere thanks to propagation of chipshooters, what makes the cost go up is logistics - what do you do after you populate the board for your part? Ship it across the world, or to another factory behind the corner?
- hef19898 8y ago
  That largely depends on the size of your board and the total number you want to ship. As soon as you reach full truck loads or full container loads that additional shipping cost is marginal on a board level.
  - baybal2 8y ago
    But still, that complicates the whole operation immensely in comparison to "just go next city block"
    - hef19898 8y ago
      You are right in a certain way. What increases with distance is lead time and as result inventory. Both of which are off set by volume. Cross-border adds customs issues. Complexity is not that much of a problem nowadays, maybe it never was. You are right that all of this oblyakes sense with large numbers, small scale production is better done locally as a rule of thumb.
- chasil 8y ago
  Sony production lines assemble Raspberry PIs in the UK: https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3014651/sonys-pencoed-factory-celebrates-five-year-pi-party-and-10-million-units-made https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3014651/sonys-penc...
antoniuschan99 8y ago
That is true I think because of what happened to ZTE earlier this year.