From: thoms1991 (thoms1991@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Oct 07 2002 - 21:39:26 EEST
Steven, However, we've found that it's still necessary for the sculpturer to
put the glint into the eye. Best Regards, Tom Richards, Metallurgist
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steven Pollack" <Steve@Familyjeweler.com>
To: "Ian Gibson" <igibson@hkucc.hku.hk>; <rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi>
Sent: Sunday, October 06, 2002 12:51 PM
Subject: RE: Article in CIO magazine
> "- Manual labour is fighting an uphill battle. The technological miracle
> that is CADCAM, RP, Rapid Manufacture, etc., allows us to make products
> that are highly complex in geometrical form and structure."
>
> That may be so but almost any rapid manufacturing scenario has some labor
> element to it including post processing of parts, assembly, packaging,
> labeling, etc. so even with RP enabled RM there is still reason to think
> that these mass customization business models could be exported as well.
>
> Steven Pollack
> 660 Vernon Ave
> Glencoe, IL 60022
> 888-300-8031
> www.DigitalJeweler.NET
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi [mailto:owner-rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi]On Behalf
Of
> Ian Gibson
> Sent: Friday, October 04, 2002 9:22 PM
> To: rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi
> Subject: Re: Article in CIO magazine
>
>
> Dear All
>
> Since there has been much discussion about China and Chinese labour, I
feel
> that I have to put in a few cents worth.
>
> Those of you who read the Wholers report will note that I have written
> about this issue for a few years now. I think there is a need to mention a
> few points: -
>
> - China is endeavouring to clean up its act. The WTO agreement, the
> Olympics, and other factors indicate that China is trying very hard to
> change from this idea of a sweat-shop oriented, cheap market. With China
> coming more and more into the limelight we note that the pressure is both
> without and within. Note the recent furore regarding North Korea and their
> special economic region, joint venture with China. As soon as there was a
> whiff of corruption, the director was in a Chinese jail. Sure the
> experience mentioned in the CIO article is happening all the time, but
> these pressures are having an effect. It will become more and more
> difficult to find China companies who are willing to absorb all the costs
> because they can find other routes to making their money.
>
> - Quality of life in China is improving. 10 years ago, hardly anyone in
> China drove a private car. Now Beijing is littered with BMW, Mercedes, VWs
> (strange that they are all German - actually not true, its just I tend to
> notice German cars more) and traffic problems are rife. How can the
Chinese
> afford all these luxuries? Their salaries are on the increase and costs
are
> as well. Don't wait too long or else there will be no such thing as cheap
> labour in China.
>
> - Exploitation goes both ways. It amuses me to hear that companies in the
> US and Europe go over to China to take advantage of the low cost and then
> find themselves being ripped off when the tool manufacturer copies the
> blueprints. What can you expect? You have no control, you are miles
away...
> Yet you still keep coming. Why?
>
> - Manual labour is fighting an uphill battle. The technological miracle
> that is CADCAM, RP, Rapid Manufacture, etc., allows us to make products
> that are highly complex in geometrical form and structure. This makes it
> increasingly more difficult for John Henry Hwang to compete and eventually
> he will die trying. However, let me tell you that if you think China is
all
> sweat shops that rely primarily on manual labour, think again. There are
> towns in China that are based on single factories, with acres of high
> technology machinery. Talk to any of the vendors of machining technology
in
> US and Europe and ask them how important China is as a market (and I mean
> now, not as a potential market), and I'm sure they will tell you that
> whilst it is shrinking elsewhere, it is still thriving in China. That
> includes RP technology. The big advantage of China labour is that it is
> cheap yes, but also highly skilled and well equipped. Surely this cannot
> continue for ever because of the cost/standard of living, but it will do
so
> for some time yet.
>
> - There are many more Chinas around the corner. They are all waiting to
> take over when the Chinese steam runs out. Just as Japan was the major
> semiconductor producer, now it is Taiwan, Korea. The same will apply to
> China. A good friend of mine who makes injection moulding machines has
been
> targeting South America for a number of years now. I'm not so sure, but
> certainly Brazil and Mexico have been steadily importing manufacturing
> technology for quite some time now.
>
> IG
>
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://rapid.lpt.fi/rp-ml/
>
>
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://rapid.lpt.fi/rp-ml/
>
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