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SMT machine shift to China

SMT machine shift to China

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During the electronics manufacturing industry downturn in 20... - Jan 11, 2007 by

I won't even guess, but I would suggest that if you don't ge... - Jan 11, 2007 by Steve Thomas

We shipped one to Canada (draft dodger). ... - Jan 11, 2007 by

... - Jan 17, 2007 by Bruce Anderson

About the dumbest thing I have read on this forum in quite a... - Jan 17, 2007 by Fastek

The dumbest thing I read was the response to me saying peopl... - Jan 17, 2007 by Stephen

I found the most infuriating attitude was the "if you're not... - Jan 17, 2007 by Rob

I hate to say it, but I will...that's why the forum's gone d... - Jan 17, 2007 by

Interesting discussion. However, the original question was i... - Jan 17, 2007 by

Here's why it all goes to China: Americans all want $100 ... - Jan 17, 2007 by Fastek

Ryan- Nobody knows the answer to this or cares. Whatever ... - Jan 17, 2007 by Fastek

They tuk-uh-our jerbs ... - Jan 18, 2007 by

...and Boeing makes wings in China because they want to sell... - Jan 18, 2007 by Rob

Thanks Fastek. I've been to China but didn't have time to c... - Jan 18, 2007 by

Ryan

#46602

SMT machine shift to China | 11 January, 2007

During the electronics manufacturing industry downturn in 2000,2001,and 2002, a very high amount of manufacturing capacity was shut down in North America and moved to Asia, mainly China.

I'm interested in knowing how many SMT placement machines (units) were moved from North America to Asia during this time period? Solid information is appreciated over SWAGS.

reply »

Steve Thomas

#46603

SMT machine shift to China | 11 January, 2007

I won't even guess, but I would suggest that if you don't get much help here (pretty tough question), you might try dogging somebody at IPC. They seem to have a pretty good handle on that kind of stuff.

All I know for sure is that we shipped a working Radial Lead III to Xiamen for NOTHING and they couldn't get it to fire up. Then they wanted us to pay for them to ship it back to us.

No hard feelings here, though. :P

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SWAG

#46604

SMT machine shift to China | 11 January, 2007

We shipped one to Canada (draft dodger).

Bruce Anderson

| 17 January, 2007

SMT machine shift to China | 17 January, 2007

About the dumbest thing I have read on this forum in quite a while.

America truly is doomed.

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Stephen

#46749

SMT machine shift to China | 17 January, 2007

The dumbest thing I read was the response to me saying people should not automatically send product to China. I was told not to bury my head in the sand. A lot of companies are being lemmings and taking it for granted it's best to send a product to China. I bet a lot of times it was not the wisest course of action, if not most of the time. What bugs me is sending work there without doing a cost benefit analysis. I realize China is not Mexico but the portion of cost of assembly that is labour is smaller now than it was back then.

At least CM's in Ontario are very busy for the most part. And Rim's Ontario plant can barely keep up, and their biggest danger is not competeing with China, it's Apple coming up with a better product.

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Rob

#46750

SMT machine shift to China | 17 January, 2007

I found the most infuriating attitude was the "if you're not in China you're not in the game" mentality of purchasing professionals. So what if there is a low labour (or labor) content and actually import duty and freight can out weigh this, and the having to wait 6 weeks for a sea delivery meaning you'll have to hold bigger stocks, tying up capital, and then there's the learning curve..

Muppets the lot of them.

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Concerned American

#46756

SMT machine shift to China | 17 January, 2007

I hate to say it, but I will...that's why the forum's gone down the toilet with regard to technical expertise. I understand that every Engineer has to "start somewhere", but the rookies on this forum, who also ask very rookie questions, have increased, and I think it's because of the influx of SMT Manufacturing to China in the last 5 years. Within the next 10 years, when these rookies from overseas gain expertise comparable to Americans, they'll be the ones developing new packaging technologies and the processes that enable the placement and attachment of these techologies...so...where DOES that leave the US?

I guess within the next 10-20 years, the US will no longer be involved in this type of engineering and development. It's too bad too, because for several decades, from the inception of SMT, the US did a pretty damn good job of this type of work. Our lawmakers just don't understand that it's this type of work that makes America great and keeps us technologically competitive. Now because of this trend...Engineering enrollments in the US are at an all time low, in the future, there will be a lack of technological innovation in the US, and we'll be arming our foreign competitors (or in China's case, potential enemy) with technical expertise and knowledge to eventually surpass the US in the world economy...a great example of this is the subcontracting of the airplane wing by Boeing ---> http://www.custac.buffalo.edu/docs/OccasionalPaper30.pdf

I guess the Purchasing Managers and Bean Counters just "don't see the forest through the trees", but rather focus only on the present, the bottom line, and the stock price.

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Ryan

#46760

SMT machine shift to China | 17 January, 2007

Interesting discussion. However, the original question was if anyone has information on how many SMT placement machines (units) were transfered (relocated) from North America to China?

I've heard 3000 machines but I think the number should be much lower.

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Fastek

#46769

SMT machine shift to China | 17 January, 2007

Here's why it all goes to China:

Americans all want $100 per hour to change a light bulb yet refuse to pay any more than $10 for a cell phone and $500 for a computer. They only want to work 5 days per week, 7 hours a day and get one month off every year. Still they complain they are over-worked. The consumer has spoken and it requires off-shore manufacturing to accommodate it.

The Chinese will travel thousands of miles to find work, leave their families for years to live in a dorm like state...work 6 days a week, 12 hours a day and be more than willing to work much more and never take a day off to boot.....all for $25 per month.

We now live in a country where obesity related deaths have now surpassed smoking related deaths. We are fat and lazy and while we sit on our butts complaining about what happened to it all......China sits back and smiles knowing the time is coming.......

Best case scenario.....we become Great Britain. Worst case.....we all learn a new language.

Go to China sometime and have a look around.

reply »

Fastek

#46770

SMT machine shift to China | 17 January, 2007

Ryan-

Nobody knows the answer to this or cares. Whatever the number was it was too much.

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Fat Engineer

#46779

SMT machine shift to China | 18 January, 2007