| I have been working in the global eyeglass
| |
| | send the best we can, as always."For my
|
| manufacturing industry, supplying raw
| |
| | business, this often killed the chances of
|
| materials, parts and accessories to
| |
| | finding a non-Japanese source for
|
| distributors and manufacturers around the
| |
| | supplying my clients in the Chinese
|
| world, since 1999. When I first began,
| |
| | market. This way of dealing with a request
|
| there were manufacturer pockets around the
| |
| | is a dead end because it does not meet the
|
| globe in various countries. As time went
| |
| | customer's needs. Here are the reasons
|
| by, like many industries, the demand for
| |
| | why:1) Optical customers have no way of
|
| cheaper products consistently bore weight
| |
| | cutting huge standard sheets down to size.
|
| on the drive to decrease cost, which led
| |
| | They need the smaller cut sizes from the
|
| to manufacturing in China. The economies
| |
| | beginning.2) Their machinery is much
|
| of scale as well as the very low cost of
| |
| | smaller in scale than automotive,
|
| manual labor helped to drive the exodus to
| |
| | building, aerospace industries, therefore
|
| China. Difficult products are still being
| |
| | need smaller cut sizes of material.3)
|
| manufactured in small clusters around the
| |
| | Factory loading and receiving is much
|
| world, however the "meat and potatoes",
| |
| | smaller in scale therefore huge pallets
|
| the "grunt work" has moved offshore to
| |
| | cause major problems. Hand-carry-able
|
| China.Titanium (pure or alloyed) wire and
| |
| | sizes of material are essential.4)
|
| sheet is the preferred material to make
| |
| | Scratches on the surface of the hard
|
| frames of these days. The unit cost is
| |
| | titanium cannot be removed through
|
| very expensive compared to ferrous metals,
| |
| | polishing of parts to get the gloss finish
|
| however the properties are far superior.
| |
| | that is required for eyeglasses; therefore
|
| It is much more difficult to work than
| |
| | best quality surface and proper
|
| regular metals during the 200 step process
| |
| | international packing is critical.5)
|
| to make a pair of frames. Because of this,
| |
| | Eyeglasses are fashion. The fashion
|
| technology was often limited to countries
| |
| | industry is critically volatile and
|
| like Germany and Japan who invested a long
| |
| | changing extremely quickly. The optical
|
| time ago in developing processes to work
| |
| | industry gets orders for glasses and must
|
| this material. Japan has been selling a
| |
| | deliver in the shortest possible time. It
|
| lot of its technology to China in the past
| |
| | takes three months to make one order.
|
| decade so that now, standard titanium
| |
| | Manufacturers cannot be waiting three
|
| eyewear is usually made in China at a
| |
| | months for material before they start to
|
| lower cost than Japan which has led to a
| |
| | produce. They choose the vendors that can
|
| lot of "restructuring" in the Japanese
| |
| | supply from ready stock or in the shortest
|
| optical industry. Those companies that
| |
| | time possible.6) One pair of glasses
|
| have a competitive advantage have survived
| |
| | usually uses about 10-20 grams of titanium
|
| (i.e. a specialty), however the "plane
| |
| | so even 20 kg of one size is a large
|
| Jane Vanilla" types are, to a great
| |
| | amount for a manufacturer. They need
|
| degree, gone.People do not know this but
| |
| | suppliers who will provide smaller
|
| it takes approximately 3 months and 200
| |
| | quantities.7) Quantities ordered these
|
| steps to make a pair of eyeglasses. There
| |
| | days for eyeglasses have gone from tens of
|
| is a huge amount of outsourcing done to
| |
| | thousands, to thousands, and now are at
|
| specialists who do various parts of the
| |
| | minimum quantities of hundreds. Those
|
| process. The titanium used in eyeglass
| |
| | hundreds are further divided into dozens
|
| manufacturing must have a very good
| |
| | of colors making the SKU delivery
|
| surface quality. Because titanium is so
| |
| | extremely small. Eyeglass manufacturers
|
| hard (and yet so soft at the same time),
| |
| | NEED access to small quantities of
|
| it is easy to make deep scratches, but
| |
| | materials relative to the big industries.
|
| very difficult to polish it out. Here, not
| |
| | Even in China, everyone is producing now
|
| I did not say "grinding" because grinding
| |
| | very small runs to meet the needs of the
|
| connotes "making smaller", but instead use
| |
| | clients who must provide a huge variety of
|
| the term "polishing" which results in a
| |
| | product SKUs to the market.8) The shipping
|
| smoother, shinier surface with less
| |
| | is also critical so being able to cut down
|
| blemishes. The end result is different,
| |
| | to sizes that will be carried by the post
|
| therefore the terminology is
| |
| | office, or a very cheap courier is
|
| different.Because removing scratches from
| |
| | essential. Sending small quantities via
|
| titanium is difficult, the manufacturers
| |
| | Air Cargo, or Sea Cargo is prohibitively
|
| demand the highest surface quality.
| |
| | expensive. The buyers/the market forces
|
| Eyeglasses are a fashion, they are
| |
| | are driving the selling price down of the
|
| painted, plated or coated and then worn on
| |
| | eyeglasses. Because eyeglasses from the
|
| the face. When you meet someone the first
| |
| | manufacturer do not have a large profit
|
| thing you see is their eyes, and if they
| |
| | margin, the manufacturers need help
|
| are wearing glasses you see those. Because
| |
| | cutting their costs; expensive shipping is
|
| of this, the finished surface needs to be
| |
| | something people are always trying to do
|
| as blemish-free as possible. Without a
| |
| | away with.9) Most eyeglass manufacturing
|
| smooth surface, the paint/plating will not
| |
| | of standard (non-niche) eyewear (and all
|
| apply evenly and you will end up with
| |
| | metal eyeglasses) is done now in China for
|
| defective product that will not be
| |
| | the reason that China makes it MUCH
|
| purchased by the wholesalers and
| |
| | CHEAPER than anyone else. Most ALL
|
| distributors to put on the market. In
| |
| | manufacturing is done in China these days
|
| reality, most end-users may not even
| |
| | for the same reason. People make product
|
| notice the level of perfection that the
| |
| | in China to DECREASE THEIR COSTS. For the
|
| wholesalers are demanding. After all, how
| |
| | vendors selling raw materials to China, it
|
| do you choose a pair of glasses? You find
| |
| | is not possible to take 20%, 30%, 40%
|
| a color and shape you like, put them on
| |
| | profit margins unless you have an
|
| your face, look in a mirror to see if they
| |
| | extremely specialized material or product.
|
| suit your image of yourself, then scan
| |
| | And titanium, even the special memory
|
| your friend/family member/store clerk's
| |
| | alloys have become a commodity therefore
|
| face and response to see if their
| |
| | unfortunately though they are expensive to
|
| impression of the frames on your face seem
| |
| | begin with, a high profit margin is no
|
| suitable to them. If so, you buy. If not,
| |
| | longer a choice. It simply cannot be
|
| you keep looking. Most of the scratches
| |
| | done.10) Many suppliers do not really do
|
| and blemishes that the manufacturers are
| |
| | the "best they can". They think that
|
| required to prevent would not be noticed
| |
| | mistakes caused by "human error" are
|
| by the end user, quite possibly allowing
| |
| | unavoidable. This simply is not true. All
|
| manufacturers to decrease their defective
| |
| | factories make defective product but that
|
| count allow them to purchase lower-priced
| |
| | defective product should never leave the
|
| material and maybe make glasses even
| |
| | factory to the customer. This means that
|
| cheaper; however the companies that order
| |
| | proper safeguards should be put in place
|
| the frames go far beyond that in
| |
| | in order to prevent that from getting out.
|
| detail.Because of this, the manufacturers
| |
| | This can be done. Guaranteed. But the
|
| must have the best material available.
| |
| | question is do the people working the
|
| This means a very high price compared to
| |
| | factory floor really care? This is an
|
| other titanium used in non-eyewear
| |
| | issue. It is even MORE critical in this
|
| industries. There is a constant drive to
| |
| | day and age to find a partner that DOES
|
| find a lower priced titanium material for
| |
| | care and is willing to improve and take
|
| eyeglass manufacturing, but to date, the
| |
| | responsibility for products that slip
|
| only material suitable is that which is
| |
| | through their net and make it to the
|
| made by the Japanese. I have tried
| |
| | customer causing them inconvenience. We
|
| supplying US material, Russian and Chinese
| |
| | are always looking for partners that are
|
| but all fail for their various reasons.
| |
| | continually working to improve their
|
| The U.S. material surface is not up to
| |
| | capabilities in all aspects of the
|
| quality because it is used mainly for
| |
| | project.Even though the eyeglass industry
|
| "rougher" industrial purposes. The Chinese
| |
| | is very small compared to the jumbo jet
|
| and Russian is still unstable in terms of
| |
| | aircraft industry, there is a huge
|
| content.The manufacturers also demand
| |
| | population in the world who need
|
| tight tolerances in the material diameter
| |
| | eyeglasses as a "medical tool" (lower
|
| or thickness. Usually tolerances for
| |
| | income bracket), and those who want the
|
| titanium in the optical industry are +/-
| |
| | tool to be a fashion statement (higher
|
| 0.02 or 0.0.3 mm.We have two levels of
| |
| | income bracket). Because of this, overall,
|
| quality for titanium sheet here in Japan.
| |
| | the industry is quite large and the market
|
| One is like a "mirror finish". Obviously
| |
| | is definitely there.Since things have
|
| it doesn't reflect like a mirror, but it
| |
| | changed so dramatically in the past 15
|
| is smooth. This is what the manufacturers
| |
| | years, and the markets have truly become
|
| need. The other one looks like someone
| |
| | global, it is even more essential for
|
| slathered a thin layer of epoxy on the
| |
| | companies and individuals wishing to
|
| surface and then sprinkled sand over it.
| |
| | improve their market share to be always
|
| This CANNOT be used to make eyeglasses.For
| |
| | looking for new innovative ways to improve
|
| titanium sheet, usually anything under 3
| |
| | their competitive advantage in the market.
|
| mm thickness by Kobe, Sumitomo, Shin
| |
| | Those that struggle to find a way to break
|
| Nittetsu are usable as is. For thicker
| |
| | down the barriers are the ones that
|
| sizes, the surface gets too rough and we
| |
| | succeed. This is why competition is so
|
| have to use a cold rolled sheet. This
| |
| | important and why monopolies actually
|
| meaning I would order 4 mm, my supplier
| |
| | hamper the market. Without competitors
|
| would have his supplier roll 5 mm down to
| |
| | there is no need to innovate, offer more
|
| 4 mm so the surface was smooth. Again,
| |
| | to the consumer, improve your abilities,
|
| this process drives the price up on
| |
| | increase your knowledge-base and develop
|
| titanium that has already been increasing
| |
| | the market in new and unique ways. Without
|
| dramatically in the past year.Eyeglass
| |
| | competition none of the affordable
|
| factories are "small" compared to other
| |
| | luxuries we have would ever have been
|
| industrial processing plants. The machines
| |
| | available at prices the average consumer
|
| are small, hand operated, and so forth.
| |
| | could afford.Competition, innovation,
|
| The size of the sheets that feed into the
| |
| | education, a demanding market of educated
|
| machines are limited. This means that
| |
| | users and a burning desire to find "the
|
| standard sheets (usually 1m x 2m) need to
| |
| | next edge" are essential to a successful
|
| be cut into about four pieces in order to
| |
| | business.Any companies who are willing to
|
| be used by most manufacturers.The
| |
| | take those challenges and try their luck
|
| manufacturers of the titanium will not cut
| |
| | at the market will likely succeed if they
|
| the standard sizes sheets, however the
| |
| | keep at it and do not give up, in spite of
|
| wholesalers who buy bulk and stock in
| |
| | the challenges and head-banging they will
|
| Japan will. They know this is necessary
| |
| | inevitably face. Any companies like that
|
| for the industry. I have yet to find a
| |
| | out there, interested in entering the
|
| company outside of Japan that is willing
| |
| | Japanese market with an unique service or
|
| to do this; making the sale of sheet
| |
| | product are welcome to contact me any
|
| extremely difficult to the optical
| |
| | time!Cameron has lived and worked in Japan
|
| industry from non-Japanese sources.My
| |
| | for over 15 years. Originally a researcher
|
| advice to suppliers outside Japan is this:
| |
| | and educator he has a penchant for details
|
| This process may be different from what
| |
| | and a natural born flair for communication
|
| you or your manufacturers are used to
| |
| | "soul to soul".His extensive experience in
|
| doing, but in this global age, we
| |
| | the culture, coupled with language fluency
|
| constantly have to be innovating and
| |
| | and a deep understanding of Japanese
|
| finding NEW ways to do business. We need
| |
| | ethics, morals and thought processes has
|
| to meet the ever-increasing demands of our
| |
| | allowed him to develop a special niche
|
| clients and gain a competitive advantage
| |
| | market in the business world.While working
|
| over the other rivals looking for
| |
| | to develop a global presence for a
|
| business. The old established ways that
| |
| | titanium raw material / parts &
|
| worked so well for so long no longer
| |
| | accessories distributor for the eyeglass
|
| apply.Here is an example of a situation
| |
| | manufacturing world for 5 years, Cameron
|
| that occurred many times over the past six
| |
| | saw the difficulties small/medium sized
|
| years:Customer: "I need 20 kg of Beta
| |
| | manufacturers were having themselves
|
| titanium sheet 0.8mm thickness, cut sizes
| |
| | trying to expand their businesses outside
|
| of about 1m x 0.3m. Courier is too
| |
| | of Japan. He decided to assist those kinds
|
| expensive so please send via Post. We
| |
| | of businesses get started
|
| urgently need this material and we need it
| |
| | successfully.Currently Cameron owns and
|
| in good condition."Supplier: " The minimum
| |
| | operates a one-man (one dog) SOHO business
|
| quantity 200 kg, and dimensions are 2m x
| |
| | designed to help Japanese and foreign
|
| 1m. Delivery is 3 months. We don't pack
| |
| | companies come together in business in a
|
| for international shipping. We don't cut
| |
| | very efficient, effective, and
|
| down to size. We only ship by courier. We
| |
| | cost-effective successful manner.
|
