VIS & Seibon

[Fastrr]

both ARE made in China. I finally had enough reading proof to know they are. I said this previously but people were like, “I don’t think so, or how do you know that”. I know because you can’t have a $400 retail price on a carbon composite hood or trunk and have it not be made in China.

Who else’s parts are made in China you ask…
Extreme Dimensions and Carbon Creations… well they are one in the same company… i just think they changed their name or one bought the other in a merger.
They all have warehouses in southern california but that is all they do… import from China to those warehouses.

I also found out Mcarbon ( motorcycle carbon parts ) are also all made in China.

Fewer companies making product in the US than i originally thought myself.

Composite Suppliers need to take this into consideration when setting prices for american business… we are competing with China and it’s hard to do when a gallon of resin costs $50 to $150 and a 100 yard roll of 3K cf costs us $2,500 + shipping. WTF american suppliers?? Lower your prices and sell more!

Sorry for the rant but we live in a global marketplace.
I need to find a way to cut out the middle man and buy direct from the supply manufacturer.

[canyon]

I’m also betting that they don’t spend money on gloves or respirators to keep their employees safe. China is notorious for cutting corners when it comes to workers safety and sanity. Even contractors for big companies like Apple are getting unwanted attention for poor worker conditions.

[hojo]

Most manufacturer of raw composite good will not sell direct unless you do large volume. There are plenty of distributors you can purchase and still get good prices, but once again its all about volume. The higher volume you buy the better the prices will be. My suggestion is get a couple accounts going through distributors like Northern fiberglass, as your business grows your volume will go up and prices go down. Its best to create a good business relation early on and find out who is reliable and worthy of working with.

[TET]

These are not composites manufacturers. Just some companies making garbage that happens to use fiberglass and a cosmetic piece of carbon.
The prices for high quality materials is not going to change, just build it into the finished product. We have no problem selling hoods for $2k, and those are cheap compared to a lot of the other products.

Go to SAMPE to see real stuff and who true manufacturers are.

[datas_br]

I’m also betting that they don’t spend money on gloves or respirators to keep their employees safe. China is notorious for cutting corners when it comes to workers safety and sanity. Even contractors for big companies like Apple are getting unwanted attention for poor worker conditions.

I visit manufacturers there regularly. Although not western standard, conditions are often better than what the media puts out to raise the emotion of buy (insert country name here). The respirators and gloves also often hang next to the workers tools and are not used because they “get in the way”.

Cheers
DB

[canyon]

I visit manufacturers there regularly. Although not western standard, conditions are often better than what the media puts out to raise the emotion of buy (insert country name here). The respirators and gloves also often hang next to the workers tools and are not used because they “get in the way”.

Cheers
DB

Haha thanks for the information. I might have been a little bit extreme when posted that. Nonetheless in general China is a bit lax on worker safety, i.e. lawsuits against companies for health damage so there is a overhead reduction in that aspect.

[datas_br]

You’re right. The employers could require the use of PSA since the average worker may not have the education to know any better. My point was that you can’t always trust what you see/read in the news. Journalists don’t wake up and say “I’m going to China to look for poor working conditions.” What to look for and where to find it usually comes from a protectionist lobby. Boy, this is getting way off topic.

Cheers
DB

[riff42]

I visit manufacturers there regularly. Although not western standard, conditions are often better than what the media puts out to raise the emotion of buy (insert country name here). The respirators and gloves also often hang next to the workers tools and are not used because they “get in the way”.

Cheers
DB

Ok, they give them the PSAs, but if they won’t require workers to use them, or educate them on exactly WHAT material they are working with (MSDS), then it is still bad safety on the companies’ part. I’ve seen enough videos only about a part, or manuf. process where they have no protection. If OSHA saw and cared about that one company, they would be there quick-snap! Granted, I’ve seen enough companies in the US like that, but again, it’s all on the company for bad safety standards. Also, it’s known that China is one of the largest polluters in the world, because they have very lax regulations, which will boil down all the way to the worker. No, you can’t always trust the media, but there has to be truth somewhere out there making this information.
Now, back on topic…yeah, they work cheap, they use cheap sub-par materials, and prob’ use alot of glass in a “carbon fiber part” But on another point Fast…most of the material factories ARE in China and Japan…there might be 1-2 CF plants in the US. Most of the resins are not made in the US, or at least the raw chemicals to make the resin. They have it cheaper there so they make it cheaper. The use of carbon is worldwide, so it would be up to EVERYONE to make it cheaper. from the manufactures to the shippers. No way around it. Buying in bulk is the only way :-/ That, or get samples

[2talljohn]

I visit manufacturers there regularly. Although not western standard, conditions are often better than what the media puts out to raise the emotion of buy (insert country name here). The respirators and gloves also often hang next to the workers tools and are not used because they “get in the way”.

Cheers
DB

Yeah, that or one guy calls the guy wearing a mask a sissy and then nobody wears it. I went to some fiberglas shop here a few weeks ago and it was a group of most likely illegal workers… 10 guys in a 20 x 20 room working on four molds. An open 55 gal drum or resin, no open windows to keep heating costs down, and an inch of fiberglass on the ground. The office smelled like my workshop. I cant believe some places allow people to work like this…

John