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