Outsourcing RTR manufacturing overseas

[brothaslide]

Below is a response that I posted in another thread. I would love to here from those of you with manufacturing backgrounds regarding outsourcing RTR kits to China.

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I've worked in manufacturing for 12 years as a quality control/quality assurance engineer. The bottom line is that these manufacturers don't have and won't implement a quality assurance program. These manufactures would not be willing to put out the money to implement a QA program. They are trying to reduce costs and increase margins by outsourcing to China. The sad part is that if they did implement a truly modern QA program, they could reduce costs, increase quality which would increase customer satisfaction and keep the jobs in the US.

[jfrank138]

Yesterday while shopping in my local hardware store the proprietor (a friend) asked me if I would look at a new Lionel trainset his franchiser (Do-It-Best) had sent for promotional display. He had set it up on a table in the middle of the store and couldn't get it to run. On examination I found the third rail pickup roller assembly on the tender was so sloppily assembled it was short-circuiting against (touching) the axle pickup wipers. Since the assembly was solidly riveted together there was no way to move the wipers to correct the problem. I advised him to grind away most of the pickup wiper to establish clearance.

The set was made in China. Obviously the manufacturer not only does not have a modern QA program, but they don't even check to see whether the things will run before shipping them to a customer. Lionel, this was real junk!

[IRONROOSTER]

One of the things I've read about overseas manufacturing is that the U.S. company has to monitor the production or the results are inferior products. This isn't just model railroading but other products also. I don't know all the economics involved in shifting production overseas, but obviously alot of companies think it works for them.

What I find is that interesting is the way the low cost country keeps changing. First Japan, then Tawain and Korea, now China (I know there have been others as well). Wonder who's next.

Enjoy
Paul

[Anonymous]

The military has a nice saying to cover all this - "inspect what you expect." If the American companies are doing the quality control, it isn't the foreign companies fault, they're going to bottom line like everyone else. It is the fault the of the American company for not caring.