Posts Tagged ‘parts’
Pricey Parts Cause Japanese Manufacturers to Find Alternative Sources
After the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan, there was a major scramble to find alternative electronic parts for the major industries in the country. Two of the most affective industries were the automotive and consumer sectors which contribute a huge chunk to Japan’s economy. Japanese technology has always been regarded as highly effective, innovative, and reliable. Japan has the respect of the world not just because of their enduring spirit, but also because of Japanese technology.
The disruption from the disaster caused everything to go up and many Japanese firms either shut down, decreased work force, or went on shortened work weeks. Some of the component parts that were severely affected were Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) parts NAND flash memory parts, microchips and microcontrollers, LCD panel displays which includes materials and parts, among many others.
Some firms chose to get their parts from Korea, Taiwan, France, which has a good record in quality control and standards. Other companies decided to ride out the problem and try to manage. Most companies who rely on Japanese parts were willing to use up existing inventory and depend on the Japanese strength of being able to bounce back. One reason for this decision was because the prices of many parts rose by as much as 20%. By holding out until the prices stabilize again would mean a possible drop in production but no issues with quality or the performance of the finished products.
Some of the Japanese companies who have either closed down plants or slowed down on their production output are Toshiba and their NAN flash memory chips, microprocessors, and image sensors; Texas Instruments with 2 plants in Japan also makes computer chips; Hynix which manufactures wafer parts; auto manufacturing firms like Toyota, Honda, Nissan; and Sumitomo, to name just a few.
According to Renault-Samsung, a company that manufactures the Nissan Almera and Sunny, the disruption will affect their sales because they rely for Japan to supply them with 10% of the required components. A spokeman from Renault-Samsung says, ”So far we are doing fine but should the crisis be prolonged, it would cause an emergency.”
Where to Find Harley Davidson Motorcycle Parts in Japan
Harley Davidson bikes are an icon of American History and legend and are known for the quality of their craftsmanship.
Harley Davidson bikes are mostly popular with the forty and onwards age group. However, their popularity might increase over time with the addition of the younger age group in to the customer base. Harley Davidson Bikes are very popular the world over. However, many people, me included, while appreciating the make and built of Harley Davidson, prefer sports bike such as from Honda or Suzuki because of their association with the modern era. Although elegantly built, Harley Davidson bikes represent American History are hence portray an old image of motor biking, probably one reason why they are popular in the forty plus age group as by that age, motor bikers probably have had their own taste of bikes developed and opt out for a Harley Davidson.
To cover costs and cut expenditure, some parts of Harley Davidson bikes are made overseas, notably Japan, as the popular giant has expanded and started functioning overseas. This is bound to bring about considerable reductions in overall expenditure as American labor gets to be more and more expensive to hire overtime, coupled with American Law that levies additional taxes especially on luxury goods, Harley Davidson Bikes being one of them.
There are a number of Japanese manufacturers who produce various parts for the famous motorbike such as its grips, clutches, shock absorbers et cetera. These manufacturers include:
- World Motor Life Corp. Japan.
- Harley-Davidson Japan K.K.
These are a few manufacturers from Japan, the strength of whom may increase with the increase in the demand of these bikes, probably some while after the current inflation crisis that has engulfed the whole world is over and after people make savings and start looking towards luxury goods.
Photo: Bright Hub