Mark Winlund
08-19-2009, 7:45 PM
There have been recent comments about Chinese tools and laser engravers. I would like to throw in my 2 cents... as an engraver and machinist with 35 years of experience, the landscape is constantly changing when it comes to imported Asian tools.
Much is made of the fact that currently, the laser tubes made in China are made of glass and water cooled. How long do you think this is going to last?
My shop is full of tools from everywhere in the world:
USA: Haas, Craftsman, Pexto, Chicago, Universal, Gorton, Xenetech
Germany: Deckel, Mahr, Hardinge
England: Myford grinders, Brierly cutter sharpener
Japan: Mitutoyo
France: New Hermes
Poland: Numerous machine shop tooling
Taiwan: Jet (large machinery, lots), Birmingham
China: numerous Harbor Freight, Enco
India: hand tools
All of the tools have done the job I needed done. The fit and finish may vary from Deckel (superb) to Indian (Horrible). Over the years, the quality of the Asian imports have gotten better. I am a frequent visitor of Harbor Freight. The quality varies from awful to a "flaming deal". You have to know your tools to be able to pick out the good ones. Years ago, it was all bad. Enco was a good example. When MSC bought them out, they were near bankruptcy. The quality is now very much better with only an occasional lemon.
Saying that all Chinese tools are junk is short sighted. Some are, some aren't. The Chinese have become an industrial power house in only a few short years. Their advantage is in the labor costs. Anyone that thinks they will not learn to control their quality is deluding themselves.... and they will still have the advantage of low labor costs. Would you live in a dormitory and work for $15 dollars a day? Millions of Chinese will.
The main advantage of engraving is that it can't be outsourced very well. We are still losing factories to the Chinese... all of those factories employed people that spent money on engraving, and are now unemployed. Guess what part of their budget they are going to cut first?
The cancer has now spread to big companies... in our area, Hewlett-Packard is just about gone... down to less than 1000 employees from 6000 just a few years ago. No more business from them. Oregon State University (another big customer) also has cut staff drastically. Departments that had 10 clerical staff now only have one or two. Good bye name badge orders. The athletic department often wants to pay only one half of what they used to pay for awards. It means if we want the work, we will be paying them to take our awards! Permission to spend the money often goes through 4 or 5 layers of bureacracy... each chair warmer wants to cut it some more.
Sorry this is kind of rambling.... it is more than just Chinese tools, it is more about globalization and trying to compete with the Chinese on their terms.
If we are to be successful, we must address all of the issues with China, not just cheap laser engravers.
Mark
Much is made of the fact that currently, the laser tubes made in China are made of glass and water cooled. How long do you think this is going to last?
My shop is full of tools from everywhere in the world:
USA: Haas, Craftsman, Pexto, Chicago, Universal, Gorton, Xenetech
Germany: Deckel, Mahr, Hardinge
England: Myford grinders, Brierly cutter sharpener
Japan: Mitutoyo
France: New Hermes
Poland: Numerous machine shop tooling
Taiwan: Jet (large machinery, lots), Birmingham
China: numerous Harbor Freight, Enco
India: hand tools
All of the tools have done the job I needed done. The fit and finish may vary from Deckel (superb) to Indian (Horrible). Over the years, the quality of the Asian imports have gotten better. I am a frequent visitor of Harbor Freight. The quality varies from awful to a "flaming deal". You have to know your tools to be able to pick out the good ones. Years ago, it was all bad. Enco was a good example. When MSC bought them out, they were near bankruptcy. The quality is now very much better with only an occasional lemon.
Saying that all Chinese tools are junk is short sighted. Some are, some aren't. The Chinese have become an industrial power house in only a few short years. Their advantage is in the labor costs. Anyone that thinks they will not learn to control their quality is deluding themselves.... and they will still have the advantage of low labor costs. Would you live in a dormitory and work for $15 dollars a day? Millions of Chinese will.
The main advantage of engraving is that it can't be outsourced very well. We are still losing factories to the Chinese... all of those factories employed people that spent money on engraving, and are now unemployed. Guess what part of their budget they are going to cut first?
The cancer has now spread to big companies... in our area, Hewlett-Packard is just about gone... down to less than 1000 employees from 6000 just a few years ago. No more business from them. Oregon State University (another big customer) also has cut staff drastically. Departments that had 10 clerical staff now only have one or two. Good bye name badge orders. The athletic department often wants to pay only one half of what they used to pay for awards. It means if we want the work, we will be paying them to take our awards! Permission to spend the money often goes through 4 or 5 layers of bureacracy... each chair warmer wants to cut it some more.
Sorry this is kind of rambling.... it is more than just Chinese tools, it is more about globalization and trying to compete with the Chinese on their terms.
If we are to be successful, we must address all of the issues with China, not just cheap laser engravers.
Mark