On 1/2/2021 4:37 PM, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Sat, 2 Jan 2021 13:35:50 -0500, Ed Pawlowski wrote:


Much of it made to the specifications of an engineer or designer from
the US importer. Ask for junk, get junk.


From personal experience:
You give the specs to the chinese and ask for test samples - they
excede your spec by 20 or 30%. You place your first order - they meet
spec - mabee excede by a percent or 2. You place your third order and
the quality has gone right down the crapper. This was computer parts.
Unless you have inspectors embedded in the factory you don't know WHAT
you are getting - or even what "factory" they are coming out of. One
"major brand" component was being produced under a tarp behind a guy's
"house" by a cabal of kids. Different kids from month 2 month - and
likely even a differnt guy's house. That was the "final product".
Where the board was printed, where it was etched, where the components
came from? Anybody's guess. Where the solfer for the wave soldering
machinr came from? again - anybodies guess. Likely the scrap from
another, bigger, "major manufacturer".

Lots of these little "micro-factories" in places like Guandong
supplying "major brand" distributors.


That may happen but my experience has been different. I've only bought
tooling, all one off stuff. Quality is equal to both US and European
versions. Cost is 30% less and lead time is half.