The city of Shenzhen in China holds a special fascination for the electronic hardware community, as the city and special economic zone established by the Chinese government at the start of the s it has become probably one of the most important in the world for electronic manufacturing. If you&#;re in the business of producing electronic hardware you probably want to do that business there, and if you aren&#;t, you will certainly own things whose parts were made there. From the lowly hobbyist who buys a kit of parts on AliExpress through the project featured on Hackaday with a Shenzhen-made PCB, to the engineer bringing an electronic product to market, it&#;s a place which has whether we know it or not become part of our lives.
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At a superficial level it&#;s very easy to do business there, as a quick trawl through our favourite Chinese online retailers will show. But when you&#;ve graduated from buying stuff online and need to get down to the brass tacks of sourcing parts and arranging manufacture, it becomes impossible to do so without being on the ground. At which point for an American or European without a word of Chinese even sourcing a resistor becomes an impossibly daunting task. To tackle this, back in the Chinese-American hardware hacker and author Andrew &#;bunnie&#; Huang produced a slim wire-bound volume, The Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen. This book contained both a guide to the city&#;s legendary Huaquanbei electronics marts and a large section of point-to-translate guides for parts, values, and all the other Chinese phrases which a non-Chinese-speaker might need to get their work done in the city. It quickly became an essential tool for sourcing in Shenzhen, and more than one reader no doubt has a well-thumbed copy on their shelves.
There are places in the world where time appears to move very slowly, but this Chinese city is not one of them. A book on Shenzhen written in is now significantly out of date, and to keep pace with its parts that have since chanced beyond recognition, an update has become necessary. In this endeavour the mantle has passed to the hardware hacker and Shenzhen native Naomi Wu, someone with many years experience in introducing the people, culture, and industries of her city to the world. Her updated volume, The New Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen has been the subject of a recent crowdfunding effort, and I was lucky enough to snag one. It&#;s a smart hardcover spiral-bound book with a red and gold cover, and it&#;s time to open it up and take a look.
The first thing I did with this book was sit on the sofa and read it cover to cover, then again later in the day. Now as I have it open while I write this review it&#;s obvious just how every part of it is full of information. Even the introduction dives into Chinese pronunciation and what to bring with you, and then you&#;re into a section on the basics of being in the city and how to interact with its culture. What weather to expect, what to wear, how to take a taxi, where to eat, and even advice for any Western visitors who might be LGBT. I may be sitting in a cold and damp corner of Europe as I write this, but I&#;m already being prepared for my journey.
If you&#;re a native speaker of a European or other atonal language and you have ever encountered Chinese speech directly, you&#;ll know that theirs is a tonal language. If you put in a lot of effort to learn Chinese you can master the differences between the syllables as an outsider, but for those of us who have not there are many identical sounding words to our untrained ear with entirely different meanings. Naomi takes us through some of the maze of technical Chinese, and delicately reminds us through the example of &#;IC part number, or &#;xīn piàn hào&#;, or &#;&#;&#;&#;&#; sounding similar to &#;xìng piān hào&#;, or &#;&#;&#;&#;&#; which means &#;sexual preference&#;, that attempting to say Chinese words as a non-speaker can lead to pitfalls. There&#;s an entire section on etiquette, and in particular how it applies to the online parallel Huaquanbei through WeChat, including cultivating your image, avoiding using inappropriate emojis, and perhaps most importantly, how to master the use of the hong bao, &#;red envelope&#; system of informal gifts and payment for services rendered.
The guide is full of essential practical tips about the markets themselves. Knowing when they open versus when the booths will open, how to gather and maintain contacts, and even mealtime culture, all things which could so easily be messed up by the uninitiated. Perhaps one of the most often heard concerns about sourcing parts in China is the risk of fakes, and here there&#;s a comprehensive section on the various different things to watch out for, graded by impact on your project.
After that comprehensive introduction, we come to the main meat of the book, the point-to-translate guides. The vocabulary related to likely topics such as parts, components, tools, materials, injection moulding, packaging, shipping, and even asking for slight differences in an order is laid out in a table, with each box containing the English word, the Chinese characters, and the pinyin transliteration. I can specify a capacitor for example by turning to the relevant page, pointing to &#;&#;&#;&#;&#;, or &#;capacitor&#;, and then so on for the various dielectrics, packages, tolerances, and so on. I can&#;t fully test these pages without being in front of a Shenzhen trader ready to sell me something, however it&#;s clear that a lot of thought has gone into them, and the many successful users of the first edition tell me that they are pretty good. The final part of the translation guide is not related to the markets but is no less essential, a survival phrase guide for Shenzhen itself. You can take the metro, get a taxi, order food, top up your SIM, and even find a toilet armed with this guide.
Last in the book but definitely not least are a travel guide, and a comprehensively annotated series of maps dividing the Hua Quang district into a series of zones. The maps appear in two forms, a descriptive guide in English to what you should expect to find in each zone, and then a series of zone maps with point-to-translate essentials such as &#;Where am I?&#;, and &#;Please mark your stall on the map&#;. This acknowledges the many changes made to the area since , but also warns that in such a fast changing city there may be future changes that might render it inaccurate.
I have spent a happy weekend immersing myself in this guide, maps of Shenzhen, and online Chinese translations to bring you this review. But of course the one thing I can&#;t do from here in Europe is give you a practical review in which I walk the halls of Huaquanbei and attempt to use it in the purchase of a load of parts. Thus I can only rate it on how comprehensive I find it rather than its on-the-ground usefulness. What I can say though is that the many users of the first edition found it to be of significant help, and the point-to-translate format assisted in a significant number of purchases. That coupled with Naomi&#;s undoubted on the ground knowledge of and enthusiasm for her native city makes this updated second edition definitely worth a look, and I can only wish you luck finding your parts and be slightly envious because my job doesn&#;t take me there.
The New Essential Guide to Electronics in Shenzhen, by Naomu Wu is available to pre-order now, from its crowdfunding page.
China&#;s chemical and pharmaceutical process equipment industry has developed rapidly in recent years. Now it is a major producer and exporter of process equipment that covers a wide range of industrial applications, including reactors, mixers, filtration equipment, distillation equipment, drying equipment, separation equipment, purification equipment, etc.
Having exported the equivalent of 3.59 trillion dollars in goods worldwide last year, you wouldn&#;t be making an unpopular choice! In this post, we&#;re giving out basic tips and nuggets of information about importing equipment on the industrial level from China to the world.
China&#;s chemical and pharmaceutical process equipment industry is well-developed and highly competitive. There are several reasons why China is a popular choice for process equipment origin:
Meanwhile, China&#;s chemical and pharmaceutical process equipment has been impacted by a number of challenges, including rising labor costs, environmental regulations, and increased competition from other countries. To address these challenges, the Chinese government has launched several initiatives aimed at improving the industry&#;s competitiveness, including the &#;Made in China &#; plan, which focuses on upgrading the industry&#;s manufacturing capabilities and promoting innovation.
Importing chemical and pharmaceutical equipment from China can be a complex process, and there are several factors that need to be considered to ensure that the equipment is safe, reliable, and meets regulatory requirements. Here are some important things to know:
Chemical and pharmaceutical equipment are subject to strict regulations and standards to ensure safety and quality. It is important to research and understand the regulatory requirements in your country for importing this type of equipment. This may include obtaining necessary certifications, such as CE, FDA, or UL, and ensuring that the equipment meets local safety and environmental standards.
When importing equipment from China, it is important to work with reputable suppliers who have a proven track record of producing high-quality equipment. This may involve conducting supplier due diligence, such as verifying the supplier&#;s business license, conducting site visits, and checking project references.
Research and identify potential suppliers from China that can meet your equipment requirements. Consider factors such as price, quality, lead time, and after-sales support.
Before importing chemical and pharmaceutical equipment from China, it is important to clearly define the specifications and requirements for the equipment, including its size, capacity, and performance. This can help to ensure that the equipment meets your specific needs and can operate safely and efficiently. Things to keep an eye out for include any certifications it needs, the electrical aspect of the machinery, any software or process control points that you might use with it, etc.
Not only that, but this is a particularly delicate matter on the pharma and chemicals industries, where it can even result in a fine or the outright seizing of your equipment.
You can also request a quote, Contact the suppliers, and request a detailed quotation that includes all costs, such as shipping, taxes, customs duties, and any other applicable fees. Suppliers will hand you detailed sheets on the equipment that will include all of the information you need to know on the safety and efficacy of the product.
The general run-through of the machinery, depending on its purpose and the general requirements for your business can vary widely, you don&#;t want something too big and expensive for what you aim to accomplish and much less not enough or even something that, because of a lack of focus on your needs, is inefficient. Be wary of this and attempt to have every nuance and specific covered.
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Once you have selected a supplier and negotiated terms, you will place an order for the equipment supplying and project implementation. Be sure to include all necessary details, such as the technical specifications, shipping instructions, and payment terms.
For the most part, how much assurance your machinery will need is equivalent to how sophisticated, advanced, and nuanced it is.
You will want to be informed on and updated on this during various stages of the process implementing. There are many inspections you might want to run, such as a Pre Shipment Inspection (PSI) when at least 80% of the order is packed. Or a During Production Inspection (DPI), inspections which are conducted after 10-15% of units are completed.
You can ask the supplier about their quality control processes and how they ensure that their products meet regulatory standards. Additionally, consider conducting a factory audit to assess their manufacturing processes and quality control systems.
Chemical and pharmaceutical equipment may be sensitive to temperature, humidity, and shock, and may require special packaging and handling during shipping to prevent damage. It is important to work with a reputable logistics provider who has experience in handling this type of equipment and can ensure that it is transported safely and efficiently.
A resource is also freely available in the form of the https://www.freightforwarderservices.com website, which comprises a global directory of freight forwarders, plus a lot of guidance on this specific process.
You might want to check with your freight forwarder the departure times they offer, what kind of packaging they work with, how they would handle multiple suppliers, etc.
You will also want to find one that specializes in the type of machinery you&#;re going to import and that&#;s as near to you as possible, as this is essential for an efficient and satisfactory process.
The delivery process is one that requires patience, patience, and more patience. You will want to be informed about everything from where it&#;s going to ship to when it&#;s going to get to your country.
It might be tricky to track the shipment while it is still in China, but the support of your Freight Forwarder should be enough to give you peace of mind. This might include tracking tools provided by the company, something you might want to check as well before giving your Freight Forwarder the go-ahead.
Any subcontracted services such as truck companies will most likely contact you, but make sure to keep in touch with your freight forwarder for the latest updates on your delivery.
Inquire about how much time you&#;re given to unload once they get there, and make sure you&#;re ready to do so quickly since taking too long might result in additional fees being charged to your bill.
When importing equipment from China, it is important to understand the payment and customs clearance process. This may involve negotiating payment terms with the supplier, and arranging all necessary customs documents, such as the commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading, are in order and submitted to the appropriate authorities.
Once the equipment arrives at your facility, inspect it to ensure it meets the specifications and quality standards outlined in the purchase order. Install and commission the equipment according to the supplier&#;s instructions and industry best practices.
It is important to consider after-sales support when importing chemical and pharmaceutical equipment from China. This may include warranties, technical support on installation and commissioning, and training of maintenance and cleaning processes to ensure that the equipment operates safely and efficiently over its lifespan.
Particularly here at Greatwall Process and Control (Wuxi) Co., Ltd, we provide a skilled and proficient workforce as well as our up-to-the-minute manufacturing facilities.
Also considering that is located within an industrial hub such as Jiangsu in China can provide several advantages for supplying equipment: access to suppliers, a skilled workforce, infrastructure, government support, and networking opportunities, etc.
Overall, importing chemical and pharmaceutical equipment from China requires careful planning, due diligence, and attention to detail to ensure that the equipment is safe, reliable, and meets regulatory requirements. Working with a reputable supplier and logistics provider, and understanding the regulatory and customs requirements can help to ensure a smooth and successful import process.
Here at Greatwall Process and Control (Wuxi) Co., Ltd, we are working closely with experienced factories and engineers. Ensure that your equipment is energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and safe. As it is our main goal to assist any startup or company that might need it custom-made for a variety of reasons, and we pride ourselves on our high-technology equipment based on high-efficiency engineering.
Besides, we offer excellent customer service and respond promptly to inquiries, provide technical support, and ensure timely delivery.
Greatwall specializes in made-to-measure equipment, and because of this we are ready to set the details for the process to be as efficient as possible, we offer a dynamic and nuanced discussion on the equipment that will lay to rest any and all doubts you might have.
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