Chinese and offshore parts / electronics in American Military Equipment

[peapvp]

I haven't been very active on Steel Soldiers due to time constraints and I have missed the interaction.

My primary purpose here on Steel Soldier is to help fellow Genset Owners with their problems on their Genset's as time permits. After all, I got a make living and pay bills too since I am not on a fixed income.

Anyway, the reason for this post is to shed some light on the origin of electronic parts and components used in these Gensets.

We are only afraid of things we have no knowledge off. Once we educate ourselves and study a certain subject then all fear itself disappears.

The MEP 00x/0xx was the last Series which had all American Parts.

With the introduction of the MEP 8xx Series this started to change.

I would like to give you an example.

The KUP 24 VDC Relays were made by Potter & Brumfield until 2006.
P&B sold their entire US Relay Division in 2006 to the Japanese Manufacturer Fujitsu Takamisawa who then shipped the entire production equipment from Illinois to Japan in 2007 and then finally to their Chinese Production Facility in 2009/2010

So, any KUP Relay which is procured today is made in China on original P&B Equipment and is now levied by Duty.

Almost 90% of all American Electronic Component manufacturers have gone this route. 97% of Semi Conductors are made now in Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and only to certain extend China - including radiation hardened devices.
The only Components still made here in the US are the RN55 and RN60 Military Resistors and a few Capacitors.
99.9 of all Electro-mechanical Components are made now in China

I still have 4 P&B KUP Relay Sockets and Spring Clips here which were made in Illinois - the Relays themselves have long been sold.

The same goes for LCD's - there are currently only two countries who make the actual Liquid Crystal Substrates and that is China (85%) and South Korea (15%).

The US Military and Avionics Display Substrate are made for most part in South Korea and assembled / tested in Wisconsin.

Liquid Crystal Substrate manufacturing requires huge amounts of fresh water. This is the reason why Foxcon, who is trying to built a substrate facility in Wisconsin, has run into massive opposition from environmental groups and the Democratic Party in Wisconsin.

National Security is of no concern to those opposition folks.

I do not want to politicize this post, but it is what it is.

 

[Light in the Dark]

As someone who manufactures products for the electronics industry... folks have no idea how little is actually made here. There needs to be a mass awakening as to this problem, which it definitely is. Once the Chinese bought up IBM (who is one of the preferred suppliers to DOD and our national infrastructure), my already high radar blew off the charts.

 

[Guyfang]

The flood of technology going into China, from the west, (or East, depending where you live) is nothing short of incredible. There is a company here in town that makes metal cutting machinery. The best and finest in the world. FIMA, or Fisher, is a world class name. For years China bought up 80-90% of the output. A friend of mine who is in the service department there, just came back from China. He was on a service contract. He told me that the 14 machines that FIMA sold to the Chinese are now in a hall, with almost 30 other machines, just like the FIMA machines. Exact copies. Down to the threads on the bolts. Since the beginning of this year, the Chinese have canceled orders for 11 machines. They no longer need to buy here from Germany. They can now make their own. Workers here in the factory are on work stop. They have to use overtime and vacation to get by. They work a week, then are 2-3 weeks at home. Things look dark.

 

[cucvmule]

Well I do not blame the chinese for what they do. The blame lies on, to the people that sell out their country for a dollar. Put our countries in peril over a dollar or yen.

The democrats are pized at the company now wanting to come back and get some massive tax break or extort the local population over a few jobs. The company can play what ever blame game that they want but to blame any political party over their purposeful raping for excessive profit margin is preposterous. Now that they can not import their probably inferior parts is the reason, not because of some environmental rules.

I hope that they lose their monopoly, patent to a NEW Company that puts PRIDE and PATRIOTISM above their short sighted profit margin, and they will profit by following the parameters set forth, or rules. And I wish them well in pursuit of free market economy.

Actually the communists that had a hand in letting this happen should be evicted to any communist country of choice, tomorrow. And to blame what THEY purposely done on any political party or environmental rule is just, crazy talk.

I am not going to say anything to help them other than, Quote Me, "Piz Off".

 

[mcii]

To the other posters, Peter Guyfang I also am near overwhelmed at the cheating and patent infringement total disregard the Chinese are exhibiting, 2 examples we see here with Generator sets. my first was with GAC [Governors America Corp] last year and now Basler Electric. Both set up and sent manufacturing to China and we must be sure these efforts were "papered up" by well if not exceptional legal representation. But now here we are the knock offs are prolific the Chinese Corps now offer where at first they simply made the parts or items as contracted for, now once the data and ordering quantities' are fulfilled the same manufactories and producing the exact same parts and so blantly still calling them original and leaving most if not all the trademarks and logos affixed. Several weeks ago I ordered a Basler voltage regulator, it was from a US seller and the part to be shipped from a US located vendor. Trick me, I got the part and with reviewing it, it looks authentic and I assume it will work, but on closer review Basler is spelled Basker. I don't qualify to buy directly from Basler but do from GAC so I'm sure on my GAC parts, but wow look at the price points. Still my obligations to my customers long term remain my integrity.
So yup, I sent the Basker voltage regulator back, and indeed Basler has rethought their position toward me.
This all started when Nixon went over in 74' best I recall. PMH ? PMH = pale mac humor not a political rant

 

[Chainbreaker]

I worked in the heyday of American high-tech in the early 70's and on when invented and manufactured in America meant something and created a multitude of good paying jobs in local cities across America. The well managed U.S. companies were very profitable and created a living wage where an employee brought home a paycheck that could support a family. Many companies created many millionaires through employee stock options. I recall one company that could not make payroll for a while and offered pre-IPO stock to janitors, secretaries, engineers, etc. Once the company's products gained acceptance in the market and the company's stock took off those employees who stuck around and believed in their company were able to retire early and comfortably.

Unfortunately, it now appears the concept of American design and manufacture in the U.S.A has been sold out by opportunistic corporate greed. Once corporate raiders, investment bankers and corporate management and the likes saw the savings to the bottom line made available by outsourcing goods to China, etc. the manufacturing landscape was forever changed. It started as a trickle and led to a full scale erosion of American design and manufacturing. Now not only do we have theft of Intellectual Property, but imbedded malware in electronics coming back to haunt us:

https://www.cnet.com/news/huawei-ban-full-timeline-on-how-and-why-its-phones-are-under-fire/

https://www.cnet.com/news/british-c...en-backdoors-in-huawei-equipment-says-report/

 

[Guyfang]

Well I do not blame the chinese for what they do. The blame lies on, to the people that sell out their country for a dollar. Put our countries in peril over a dollar or yen.

The democrats are pized at the company now wanting to come back and get some massive tax break or extort the local population over a few jobs. The company can play what ever blame game that they want but to blame any political party over their purposeful raping for excessive profit margin is preposterous. Now that they can not import their probably inferior parts is the reason, not because of some environmental rules.

I hope that they lose their monopoly, patent to a NEW Company that puts PRIDE and PATRIOTISM above their short sighted profit margin, and they will profit by following the parameters set forth, or rules. And I wish them well in pursuit of free market economy.

Actually the communists that had a hand in letting this happen should be evicted to any communist country of choice, tomorrow. And to blame what THEY purposely done on any political party or environmental rule is just, crazy talk.

I am not going to say anything to help them other than, Quote Me, "Piz Off".

Indeed. They are only doing what they think is good for china. And all the western country's have to wear the I am guilty sign around their necks. We let it happen because of money. I can only hope that one day this will reverse itself, and quality company's come back in existence in America.

 

[NY Tom]

As a member of the manufacturing community who is just under 40 years old I am saddened and disgusted by what has become of our industry in the last 40 years. We compete with Chinese products the prices of which are so low you cannot even fathom how they are making them. Their equipment in many or most cases is newer and more advanced than the average being used here in the states. It is a testament to the ingenuity and skill of the aging workforce here that we are able to manufacture the products we do still make to the high standards which we still maintain using the equipment that we have. Our Engineering and QC departments continue to hold our products to very high standards while making exception after exception to those being brought in from overseas vendors. We have to modify and tweak our tooling and components to fit whatever junk which comes in as well.

Shocking when I see what the leaders of companies have done to sell us out over the years. It also is the reason I try very hard to purchase USA made products and stay away from imported junk wherever possible. Unfortunately it is all but impossible to do this for many classes of consumer goods these days.

 

[cucvmule]

It is amazing that now in the last few years that you have to buy chinese or you get nothing because no one manufactures the widget.

Case in point, I went to buy a Chalk Box, lent mine out, had it maybe 30 years and now no one has it. Looked for 3 or 4 hours, no joy. All the small stores first then big ones. Gave up finally and my brother had 2 or 3? Probably mine but who cares, made in U.S.A..

Now just to get some things, days of old I thought Taiwan had bad products. Now I like them because at least they are better than china and they are "Free China".

Is it just hard for me to adjust to the "world economy" or do I have a legit gripe? I always bought the best product even if it was more cash and made in a Free Country. But when everything you touch is made in china, well that is a problem.

Rant Over, I hope that I did not thread?