Plasma cutter, RIP

[lexi]

That`s it Steve. If a British manufacture could come a bit closer. I would have one. Unfortunately our companys have to satisfy shareholders and directors. The other thing with Chinese stuff is that there are no patents.
Every design is public property.........that is why all those plasmas from China look the same. I also think that their higher end machines where they combine Mig and Tig etc in one machine will catch on eventually.

Alex

 

[weldequip]

Unfortunately our companys have to satisfy shareholders and directors. The other thing with Chinese stuff is that there are no patents.

Well, firstly, the Chinese are suddenly waking up to the fact of shareholders (their stockmarket has risen 250% over the last couple of years... they can't get enough of it!) so things are gonna change there. And secondly, the Patent/Copyright thing is an international agreement that all, except China seem to abide by, so the s**t is gonna hit the fan there!
The scary thing is... is that China is running a massive budget surplus (as oppose to the world's largest economy's massive budget deficit) & they are spending it on ARMS! So, before you know it, China will be saying "So what, what about Patent?" "Av a go if you dare"!!
And, of course, Uncle Sam will oblige (dragging us into it with em!!)
weldequip

 

[DIY Welding]

Weldequip is spot on we as suppliers are in a no win situation the market wants cheap chinese so we supply and they keep breaking down, I think you should compare it when going to buy a car, you dont buy the banger in the corner because you know its going to let you down and is unreliable you spend a bit more on somthing that wont let you down and when you come to change it you get more cash for it when you trade it in ie s/hand Hypertherm £500-£600 notes s/hand chinese ?

 

[Alex]

Its not long before the sub £1000 Chinese car will be hitting the roads, it may look ugly but I guarantee people will buy them.

The only way we can possibly continue as a country, (dont forget you can't have a country that imports without exporting aswell) is automation,

Having robots that build products in the only way forwards for us with current employment law.

I made some stub axles on a lathe the other day and it took about an hour to do one, with a CNC lathe it would take about 10 minutes I reckon and I could be dealing with customers while that happens, so you see where the labour saving is I only have to pay the lathe about 30p an hour in electricity and maintenance and I dont have to pay it national insurance.

Some would say but that gives nobody jobs, only when the product is in the customers hands it will have passed through 3 service jobs and to export even more.

Germany is doing this and they are considerably richer than us per capitial.

 

[marknotgeorge]

Robots are ok for repetitive tasks, but they're not as flexible as humans for the more complex work. Take a car factory. You've all seen the dancing robots assembling the bodies, right? That's ok when you've only got a few different things to build - body style, left/right hand drive, and maybe engine and suspension options - but once you get into the assembly shop, they'll be hardly any robots. When I worked at Toymota, about the only robots in the shop were the ones to put mastic on the glass prior to fitting, which is done by a bloke with a manipulator. Robots can't deal with the hundreds of combinations caused by model specifications - engine, trim, optional extras, etcetera. So you still need people.

 

[lexi]

Weldequip is spot on we as suppliers are in a no win situation the market wants cheap chinese so we supply and they keep breaking down, I think you should compare it when going to buy a car, you dont buy the banger in the corner because you know its going to let you down and is unreliable you spend a bit more on somthing that wont let you down and when you come to change it you get more cash for it when you trade it in ie s/hand Hypertherm £500-£600 notes s/hand chinese ?

Every product is aimed at a type of buyer. As a DIY welder there is no point in me having 1200. quid of cutter lying doing very little. That money would be better in shares. If you are a business user it is all tax deductable anyway as depreciation. If I go to trade a Hypertherm in after little use I will have lost more actual money than if my cheap one was written off.

Some people can afford to buy Sony TVs while others do not too bad with a Goodmans at half the price and a picture quality of only about a fraction less quality........and I don`t blame them. I think it will all be just boxes we will be buying eventually and when they are cheap enough we will through them away like microwaves or washing machines.......sad really.

Alex

 

[lexi]

Robots are ok for repetitive tasks, but they're not as flexible as humans for the more complex work. Take a car factory. You've all seen the dancing robots assembling the bodies, right? That's ok when you've only got a few different things to build - body style, left/right hand drive, and maybe engine and suspension options - but once you get into the assembly shop, they'll be hardly any robots. When I worked at Toymota, about the only robots in the shop were the ones to put mastic on the glass prior to fitting, which is done by a bloke with a manipulator. Robots can't deal with the hundreds of combinations caused by model specifications - engine, trim, optional extras, etcetera. So you still need people.

How is your job going mate?

Alex

 

[marknotgeorge]

How is your job going mate?

Alex

I left about a month ago. I couldn't be doing with the repetitiveness. At the mo, I'm helping my wife with her web/ebay based promotional stuff business, while looking after the kids. In the autumn, I plan to go to college part time to study for AAT (accountancy) certification. I need to do something that engages my brain.

 

[Haze]

eastern manufacturers are making better and better products these days, even those embarassing badged cars which people used to laugh at are becoming a respectful marque these days, on some of them the build quality in certain area's puts other makes to shame.

 

[bump]

eastern manufacturers are making better and better products these days, even those embarassing badged cars which people used to laugh at are becoming a respectful marque these days, on some of them the build quality in certain area's puts other makes to shame.

Mainly as they were bought out by a respectable manufacturer?