Engineering Materials

at 4/12/2007 7:32:46 AM, turbinia2 said:
They have the fire in the belly that has long been extinguished here in the USA by demoralizing managers and bean counters. If Chinese engineers make automotive breakthrus, I hope it is in the area of better batteries for electric cars.

at 4/26/2007 3:44:22 PM, John PASCHKEWITZ said:
I agree. Motivation has been diminshed but discouraging miro-managers and increasing emphasis on cutting costs and reducing staff by bean counters and very short sited executives who fill their pockets with the savings in the form of stock options. We will continue to loose ground unless this is turned around.

at 4/26/2007 3:47:08 PM, windnsails said:
In 40 years America has become lazy. The young minds of today are hopelessly entrenched in entertainment of all kinds and older generations are focused on retirement. The Chinese are diligent, and will surpass us like a Porshe passing a Ford Focus. America is well on its way to becoming a second world nation, as CEOs farm all manufacturing and design out to cheap labor location to make the easier profit. Long term that profit will literally require our blood to rectify, if we can. And if corrections aren''t made soon, we wil be over run and become a third world colony of the new industrialized nations and without our constitution to guarantee or rights. This is already in progress right now, while the video games and mindless TVs play and the older generation sits back in its retirement leisure. And we deserve the fall that is coming.

at 4/27/2007 4:37:40 AM, thinkingaloud said:
Somebody has to purchase the TV and videogames. I agree it is linked to laziness, but the laziness a generation of parenting that relied on entertainment to teach our kids. The Chinese were diligent, otherwise they would be stuck in poverty. Talk to the retired people, they will tell you that they worked very hard. Why? to avoid poverty. Unfortunately, the generation gap is that Americans have lost the fire in the belly. Inovation and creativity was essential to overcome the prospect of growing old with nothing!

at 4/27/2007 12:50:40 PM, fire in the belly and... said:
a total disregard for IP (Intellectual Property) issues and software copyrights. We (and I personally) spend substantial amounts of money to obtain and maintain pricey software licenses just for the purpose of staying "above board". I just spoke with a professional colleague last night who told me of offers that he received while in China to purchase copies of the same high end, high dollar, CAD modelling software that he uses stateside, for a mere $20. (How do they do it?) So please don''''''''''''''''t talk to me about "fire in the belly", personally, the whole thing gives me heartburn.

at 4/27/2007 1:37:29 PM, lsilvian said:
One of the biggest problem today is that (to paraphrase Mart Twain) good engineering skills and a decent personality would make one unfit to be a manager in Corporate America. While we teach our engineers about “Mission Statements” “Bottom Line” and “Calculated Risks” we become o third rate technological nation. I wander if this trend will ever stop. So I am not surprised that China will dominate the technology

at 5/23/2007 10:40:54 PM, Richey said:
The life cycle of growth and decay is at work. America is past its peak. We have abandoned values that made our nation great, and embraced values that will poison us to death as a nation. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the decent people do? Islam despises our hedonism, and they are right. We will be sitting in our hot tubs when the Vandals enter our Senate chamber. America is asleep, in an opium dream. How can we wake our mother, America, so she can escape the fire that is burning the house down?

at 5/24/2007 5:49:13 AM, Marty said:
Foreign born and educated multicultural management that is less skilled and less compensated – but highly intelligent - has completely eliminated ethics by compromising our legal system and eliminating written communication to provide accountable direction to subordinates. Corporate management continues to engage them and distribute our work through out the globe and justifies it by claiming it more efficient – ultimately sending work to their countries of origin and their future generations while we are left to raise generations who have fallen prey to the public school day care system.

at 5/24/2007 12:06:24 PM, MEand PetrE said:
There is NO Competent Mgmt in this country anymore. Just fraudulent, stock option granting selfish, worthless cronies. It used be that mgmt was smart enough to let the real engineers create and produce real products that consumers wanted and needed. Now the mgmt can only try to get the lowest cost of existing product. "But we need more engineers..." Ya Right!

at 5/24/2007 12:16:55 PM, Renaissance Man (RM) said:
So, lets all get busy and help to change the way things seem to be going!

at 5/24/2007 12:24:51 PM, Fast cars said:
The problem is not that we are being passed by a Porshe. It is why did we agree to drive a wimpy Focus? Why did we not ask for a Shelby Mustang! Screw the CEO's who keep mandating "cost justification, ROI calculations, and risk assessment". Enterprising Americans should be able to figure out how to beat them ate their own game!

at 5/24/2007 12:36:18 PM, Physicist said:
Reading these replies is unsettling. Several are well written, but some of these replies are barely written in English. If the technical community can't commnicate effectively, we will not be listened to.

at 5/24/2007 7:44:48 PM, Summary said:
"Renaissance Man" offers good advice; most of the posts strike at the heart of the issues facing America and "Physicist" thinks making appeals garners favor - I don't think so. When we boldly step forward with noble motives to advance the technologies of our disciplines then we are communicating. Our products say "we are a force to be reckoned with". It is our accomplishments that speak for us and can even create envy. Do not be afraid to be envied - fear of envy is what makes people buy into liberalistic thought. Let's set aside our tendancy to self pity and rise to the occasion by delivering products to the world which are second to none. Long live America and the technology that contributes to her greatness!

at 5/29/2007 6:09:56 AM, Rubberguy said:
Sorry Summary, I'd love to be producing top quality products but my company was forced to close by three customers filing for Chapter 7 and two major customers deciding to go off-shore for less costly products.

at 6/3/2007 11:32:11 PM, ADK said:
As a former Mowtown kid, who was born and raised as part of a big three family, I can tell you that bean counters aren''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''t the only ones to blame for the demise of the Big Three. The second big element is the UAW. From rank and file to the executives during contract "negotiations" (I call it contract extortion) it has extracted the lifeblood of an industry for the sake of many a sandbagging worker and worse. Try doing work on the floor of a UAW plant and pick up a screwdriver you aren''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''t supposed to. Try accidently using the "wrong" language to describe your task on the floor if you are not a UAW worker. One of two things will begin your adventure... 1. A couple of Union thugs will threaten your life when next go the bathroom. 2. A greivance will be filed causing you to fear for your job and as well a work stoppage in that zone may incurr. Yes NO BEAN-COUNTER should ever head-up a manufacturing firm which needs to innovate to stay ahead of the competition. But it won''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''t matter if Union extortion and institutionalized foot-dragging continues the way it always has. It will be interesting to see how the holding firm that bought Chrysler handles the recacitrant union crooks in the future. The firm is know for it''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s ruthlessness. All I can recommend is if they hope to bust the Union, which they will need to to make Chrysler profitable, they must aggressively investigate and pursue rank and file intimidation and extortion to the highest ranks.... They should also hire extreme body-gaurds for their families and associates. ADK

at 6/13/2007 5:04:58 AM, DLC said:
“Chinese nationals flood the best science and engineering programs in the Western World. They are smart and eager to learn.” I need to do some research in order to determine who is actually paying to educate these “smart and eager” people. I'm sure our tax dollars are not involved in anyway.

at 7/20/2007 6:17:20 AM, RealityMan said:
This article doesn't state HOW this feat was achieved. Reducing tolerances while maintaining Cpk's is counter to quality programs and DFSS techniques. My guess is they threw more cheap labor at the process and have a high scrap and rework rate. As a news journal, could you please report ALL the facts?

at 1/2/2008 11:05:00 AM, JT said:
And the plastic scrap went, as we know now, into our pets' food.

at 1/7/2008 8:28:03 PM, RH said:
If we could get our kids to get excited about manufacturing again and stop becoming lawyers that produce nothing but higher costs and red tape we could become great again.

at 3/13/2008 7:08:52 AM, Youneedalyfe said:
This is really lame

at 3/13/2008 7:09:15 AM, Youneedalyfe said:
This is really lame

at 3/28/2008 1:46:49 PM, protobob said:
Let's face it, technology travels globally at a very fast rate and we have little protection for our creative ideas and processes except to be there first, hit it as hard as you can and expect to be chased all the way.

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