Skip
to main content

Advertisement

Product
Design & Development

Home

Prototyping

Aero

Auto

Regulation

Products

Product Directory

Design
Tools

Electrical
and Electronic Components

Materials
and Prototyping

Mechanical
Components

Motion
Control and Automation

Sensors
Test and Measurement

Software
and Computer Systems

Newswire

Resources

Articles

Blogs

Company
Directory

Add
Your Company

Digital
Editions

Engineering
Live

Events

News

White
Papers

Webinars

Videos

Free Subscriptions

Company Profile Search

Log In

Register

Advertisement

Articles

Advertisement

Cheap Rubbish From China Is A Myth

Fri, 12/11/2009 - 6:47am

David Mantey, Editor, PD&D

LISTED UNDER:

Electrical and Electronic Components|Materials and Prototyping|Motion Control and Automation|Sensors Test and Measurement|Cams

Get today's design engineering headlines and news - Sign up
now!

Star
Prototype China is owned and run by Gordon Styles, British businessman and
engineer. Styles then Star in 2005 with the intention of offering western
clients the opportunity to use a reliable and high-quality rapid prototyping and
rapid manufacturing supplier in China.

“There is no correlation
between the price and quality in China.”

Star Prototype China is owned and
run by Gordon Styles, British businessman and engineer.

In 1993, Styles began building
what became the U.K.’s largest rapid prototyping technology (RPT) company, which
he later sold.

Styles then founded Star
Prototype — a full service RPT bureau that
specializes in rapid prototyping, urethanes, CNC machining, rapid tooling and
molding — in 2005 with the intention of offering western clients the
opportunity to use a reliable and high-quality rapid prototyping and rapid
manufacturing supplier in China.

I recently had the opportunity to
speak with Styles in the latest PD&D Electronic Fireside Chat to
discuss some of the myths regarding manufacturing in China.

PD&D: What is
the biggest myth regarding manufacturing in China?

Gordon Styles: The
biggest myth is “Cheap Rubbish from China.” There is no correlation between
the price and quality in China.

I have spent top dollar for
rubbish; and equally I have received some of the world’s best quality for prices
so low they make your eyes water. In terms of quality I would say that the
80/20 rule applies, inversely.

In developed countries, 80 percent
of suppliers are good-to-excellent quality; whereas in China it is only 20
percent. This is changing fast though. Sometimes the price is double
the U.S. or Europe — this is usually driven by inefficiencies in a particular
niche.

PD&D: Why do
companies choose to move to China instead of continuing work in the U.S.?

Styles: For the last
40 years in the U.K., and to a similar degree in the U.S., industry and
manufacturing have been ignored by the government, and allowed to wither on the
vine.

In the U.K., manufacturing went
below critical mass in the last 10 years, and is now gasping its last breaths;
U.S. manufacturing is in danger of doing the same.

The blame for this can be laid at
the feet of successive governments of all persuasions. Many companies go to
China now because they simply can’t get the capacity anymore at home. It is
a vicious cycle that will need some serious political leadership to
reverse. I believe that as the U.S. and U.K. emerge from recession the move
to China will actually accelerate. This is because of the “Last Man
Standing” effect — the guys who survived get to feast as the economy starts to
grow again — lead times go out and prices go up — ipso facto, more business goes
abroad.

PD&D: In your
opinion, how would you describe Chinese working conditions?

Styles: In China, you
have the whole spectrum. Generally the foreign owned enterprises offer
better working conditions. That includes Hong Kongers; Taiwanese; Japanese
and, of course, the “Westerners.”

My own business partner James Li
Xue Zhong previously worked building ships. He could go a whole month
without emerging from the inside of the hull of a ship — breathing welding
fumes; no masks; minimal ventilation; a bowl of rice twice a day (much less
common nowadays) — and at the end of three months the company refused to pay
him.

When we recently installed a new
paint booth, we were required by the government to insist that our workers wore
active carbon masks and that we fit an active carbon exhaust filter. All
the factories in the area were forced to do this. Health and safety at work
in China is certainly improving at a pace that I would put it on par with the
U.S. and U.K. of the 1980s.

PD&D: To what
do you attribute the rapid expansion of the Chinese manufacturing industry?

Styles: Here come two
completely unexpected and extremely controversial answers:

1) The entire Politbureau
[The executive committee and chief policymaking body of Communist
China] including President Hu [Jintao] are
Engineers. In the case of Premier Wen [Jiabao], he is a
geologist — earth Engineering, same thing.

China is run by Engineers that
understand the importance of manufacturing and construction as the major wealth
creating sector of a modern society.

2) The Chinese Government
does not have to answer to the masses and can therefore make bold and very
long-term decisions that benefit the country long-term. Deng Xiaoping laid
out a long-term plan for China in the 1970s, and the government of today
continues to be true to his original goals. In my opinion, Western-style
democracy in China would have led to a much less potent manufacturing
sector.

PD&D: Why is
Star Prototype based out of China? You state that you’re “western owned, and
managed in China.”

Styles: I couldn’t
make money as an engineer in the U.K. anymore. I also love the feeling of
working in a country where the top guys are also engineers. I feel special
in China. I felt professionally worthless and unwanted in the
U.K.

PD&D: How did
you get into the business?

Styles: I started out
in precision engineering in 1983, and in 1993 I started what became the U.K.’s
largest RPT Bureau. We were up to 80 guys, and in 2000 I sold STYLES RPD to
ARRK. After
a number of years out of the industry, I decided to go the China to seek some
opportunity.

PD&D: How has
your life changed since you relocated from Britain?

Styles: I am a very
proud and patriotic Briton. I love my country; I love my Queen; I love the
great spirit of the British worker. I hate what the career politicians have
done to my country.

The greatest change for me after
relocation was to regain my self-respect as a businessman and as an
engineer. Not to mention I took up playing blues guitar again after a
14-year break.

I miss my kids, but they love to
holiday here in Zhongshan. Great beer! Great music! And the nightlife
is great. Not as good as the Gas Lamp in San Diego – but not far off.

PD&D: In the
current economic climate, what keeps you up at night?

Styles: I did my
personal recession between 2002 and 2006. I was running on financial fumes
at that time.

In that period, I used to hate
guys telling me how much money they made each week from the increase in the
house price. Putting food on the table and keeping a roof over my family’s
head kept me awake back then.

I sleep pretty well nowadays
as we were almost untouched by the recent economic recession and have continued
to double sales each year.

For more information on Star
Prototype, visit http://www.star-prototype-china.com/.

Advertisement

Share this Story

Comments

Search form

Search

Advertisement

Advertisement

Exclusives

What
Will We Do When the Machines Take Our Place?
August 28, 2014 3:40 pm | by Heather Miller, Line/
Shape/Space

Big
Guys Finally See the 'White'
August
28, 2014 3:16 pm | by
Mike Krames, Soraa CTO

Police
Body Cams: An Invasion of Privacy or a Life-Saver?

August 28, 2014 2:46 pm | by Melissa Barnes, Associate Editor

Is
Burger King's 33 Year-Old CEO Paving the Way for Young Execs?
August 28, 2014 1:11 pm | by Jon Minnick, Associate Editor,
Manufacturing Business Technology

View
More Exclusive Content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Trending

Photo
of the Day

Photos
of the Day: The World Premiere of the All-New Volvo XC90

August 28, 2014 1:31 pm

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Top
Stories and Headlines
EVERY DAY!

FREE Email Newsletter

View Sample »

PD&D Magazine

About Us

Advertising Info

Contact Us

Subscriptions

Privacy Policy

Supplier
Directory FAQ

Terms &
Conditions

Resources

Articles

Blogs

Digital Editions

Events Calendar

News

Sitemap

Videos

White
Papers

Topics

Aerospace

Automotive

Consumer
Electronics

Industrial
Automation

Medical

Military

Off-Highway

Prototyping

Robotics

Connect With Us

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

RSS

Newsletters

Our Partner Sites

ECN

MDT

Wireless
Design

Continuity
Insights

IMPO

Industrial
Distribution

Manufacturing.net

MBT

Advantage Business Media © Copyright 2014 Advantage Business
Media

Advertisement

X

Username
or e-mail address *

You may login with either your assigned username or
your e-mail address.

Password *

The password field is case sensitive.

Remember me

Create
new account

Request
new password