What's your economic climate?

I've been very busy these last few years making a "go alone" and haven't
had the luxury of browsing time in c.c.s to keep abreast of things. So,
a big hello goes out to the group members, new and not-so-new. I've
always found this group to be the best resource for CAD info and an
exemplary newsgroup.

Serving southern Ontario, I'm primarily involved in designing automation
systems (mechanical and electrical) for the automotive sector. Lately,
everything seems to have dried up due to my clients building systems that
have been engineered the previous year. My contacts in manufacturing are
eating each other alive out there trying to stay afloat. Friends have
also confirmed recent auto shows fronting "nothing new".

I guess I'm asking what the sectors in your area look like at present,
and where they might be headed in future, in order to gauge where I
should be concentrating my efforts in finding new clients.

Keep up the good work and thanks for any insight you can provide.

Are the three amigos still fighting for truth and justice?!

/cheers

 

The industry consuming 1 of 6 or 7 dollars in the U.S. is undergoing a
moderate form of revolution and associated growth.

1 word: Healthcare!

The only way Healthcare products can afford to stay in the U.S. in many
of the lower cost product lines is to automate.

The last diagnostic kit I designed (& patented) was designed from day
one to go from plastic pellets to sealed pouch all in the same molding
and assembly line, so no human hand ever touched the product.

Bo

 

Chris,

The medical field is still pretty strong, at least here in So Cal.
Phamecutical and laboratory automation may be the sectors you want to go
after.

As far as fighting for truth and justice, SW has become more of a marketing
company than an engineering solutions company. Kinda like PTC back in the
mid 90's. The difference being, PTC had a rock solid product, and a lousy
attitude. SW is just the opposite. SW has gotten so big that massive amounts
of new sales are necessary to feed the monster. To accomplish this end, they
seem to have turned development over 100% to marketing. The result of this
is buggy incomplete software with lots of fancy gadgets for sales demos. At
this point, they'd need years to fix the bugs even if they did nothing else.
It would take a massive revolt of global perportions to even make them think
about changing their attitude.

Regards

Mark
(the third Amigo)

 

Mark,

I only ran into three bugs today. How can you say that?

Hey, I thought I was the third Amigo. After all, I arrived last in
Concord.

 

Who's on first?

Jerry Steiger
Tripod Data Systems
"take the garbage out, dear"

 

Mark,

What a perfect summery! Exactly what I've come to conclude.

I wonder who the next SolidWorks will be or if they can maintain or grow
with their current marketing tactics.

MB

 

Bo,

There is another reason, "liability". This is what keeps medical products
here.

It would be impossible to monitor offshore manufacturing with regards to FDA
standards. Once you get two governments, and two sets of laws, into the
liability loop you can forget about it.

Regards

Mark

 

That's a bit of nonsense.
A great many of the drugs used & sold in the US are
imported, just as one example.
Recall last fall's flu shot problems? Ever look at
the *original* label on a new bottle at a pharmacy?

Stuff comes from all over.
Quality is as easy to export as technology. Probably
far cheaper to do too.

 

Every medical product of consequence in the U.S. has to be produced by
a company registered with the FDA which manufactures to their GMP
standards and additionally must have 510K registration approval for
simpler more "standard" products and "PMA" (pre-market approval) status
approved for more complex devices, etc. etc., and up through drug
approvals with even more controls.

The FDA inspects whereever the products are made. If you do not meet
the standards, you follow their rules and fix it, or they shut you
down. Very simple, very tough.

Abbott did not keep its GMP quality standards up in its Puerto Rican
facility (if I remember the place right) and about 3-4 years ago the
FDA shut them down, and sales went from 800 million to about $400
million over that. Only recently did Abbott finally get its FDA
approval back and start that up again.

Bo

 

Cliff,

Sorry bud, your wrong.

Flu vaccine from the UK is OK. Their standards are similar to ours.

A pacmaker made in China or Mexico ???? Ain't gonna happen,,,, ever

Mark

 

Nope. So people said about products from Japan, China, etc.

They, not the FDA, terminated the contaminated vaccine.
Are you saying that their standards are better than the FDA's?

Don't forget all those drugs that I mentioned that ARE imported
*by the drug firms* for sale in the US *at higher prices*.

What are standards?
Millions of things that meet standards are shipped & traded in
worldwide.
These are just more such products.

 

Cliff,

Ok Cliff, I ain't gonna argue with ya.

By the way, we design medical devices for a living. I guess I can tell the
people in our regulatory department to throw away all their books. They can
just ask you.

Mark

 

One reason So.Cal. is hot in healthcare items, is that there are
thousands of device manufacturers in So.Cal. Last I heard it was
approaching 4000 in Orange County alone, but that was years back.

Bo

 

Mark,
Those "books" can be used worldwide, right? AND
they can be changed, as needed.
It's an error to think that you are in a sheltered,
protected industry and don't need to compete.

People once made very similar claims about all sorts
of products.
Mostly long gone.

You may also wish to look at the effects of NAFTA,
the EU, the WTO, etc.
Should the US try to protect an industry many trade
sanctions may be applied.

And customers in the US may demand products not
otherwise available in the US for any price.

 

Cliff,

Your rational doesn't work for products that "KILL" when they fail

Mark


hit the wrong button again

 

Mark,
So what happened to your quality standards & methods?
Autos kill when they fail. Aircraft too. Many other things.
Quite a few are purchased in the US from non-US makers.

"Quality" can be exported/imported just as easily as anything else.
Paper standards & documentation of such in these days of the Net ..

People worldwide are learning. Fast.

 

Mark,
The US has the most expensive health care "system" (per capita)
in the world but the worst health care in the developed world in terms
of patient outcomes.

Even Cuba has a far lower infant mortality number.

It's busted Mark. Is this sort of reasoning part of why?

 

(Copied from alt.machines.cnc)
[
Forget your job, worry about your grandchildern's. Like the Intel's
chief.

Quote

"I lead a schizophrenic existence," Barrett explained in an engaging
conversation with your correspondent and a Chinese journalist on the
margins of the Intel Development Forum in San Francisco last week.
"Intel will go where it will find talent. But I worry for the United
States and I worry for my grandchildren."

Unquote


Read more of it here
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1042610.cms
]