PCB |
European manufacturing still competitive
The optimism amongst UK manufacturers has risen lately. UK manufacturing is still viable and competitive, according what has been said at the Southern Manufacturing and Electronics show held last week.
In China the labour costs are rising the issue about the the Chinese New Year and the complications associated with manufacturing and shipping from there have leaded to rising optimism amongst UK electronics manufacturers.
According to David Grant the wages in China have risen from $350 to around $600 in the past few years for a line assembly worker. David Grant is the managing director of Kestrel Circuit that sources PCBs from China but works alongside sister company Merlin Circuit Technology, which manufactures in the UK.
“Our manufacturing business grew 24 per cent last year. We know about Chinese New Year and have pre-warned our customers," said Malcolm Shields, managing director of Merlin
According to Steve Dixon, managing director of Tenkay Electronics the UK manufacturing quality still has a worldwide well known good reputation. One major Russian customer came to Tenkay and stressed that the company needed a made in UK stamp as a quality assurance.
Tenkay has now invested some £150, 000 in an automatic PCB line and Tenkay has also leased extra manufacturing space added to its 25,000ft2.
SMS Electronics reported to electronicsweekly's staff that RoHS has a negative impact on the business last year but 2007 has started well.
