Me Again wrote:
Charlie D. wrote:
NC Hauler wrote:
The MIchelin Tire plants as well as other well known brand named plants that are now manufacturing THEIR tires in China have CHOSEN to CONTINUE to produce a QUALITY product and show their affiliation to said "named manufacturer"...,
Are you including the Goodyear Marathons? Many reports of failures of the Chinese Marathons. I have read some reports on this forum and others that Goodyear has moved the Marathon manufacturing back to the states but I haven't seen any.
Goodyear is a really big tire company with manufacturing plants around the globe. They from time to time produce Marathons in different plants depending of production slot availability. This can vary by tire size also. So because say a 15" was produced somewhere other than china does not mean other sizes are also. They only make about two runs per year of each size. Also according to Goodyear all tires are equal in quality or lack of it and it is not dependent on were it is manufactured. Chris
True statement....if quality is lacking, or there are "flaws" in the manufacturing process of a particular tire, (ie , "problem-some", odds are under "controls" are carried out and a "process alert" put on that particular product....it won't get any better...one would "normally" put a "hold" on the product and no product would leave the plant until the problem was solved...THAT is how our plant would handle it...It is a Quality personnel, Industrial Engineers, Design Engineers, Technicians, Supervisors, down to the operators that may be involved that all come together to discuss any issue that might be at hand and
"5Y" it and tear the entire process down, step by step until a fix is found...It is a very elaborate "problem solving" team that works on a fix to the problem and the customer is also involved, (with us it would be the auto manufacturer" and we HAVE to present EVIDENCE that problem is solved and THEN it has to bear out.....
I've really simplified what all a company/plant/manufacturer like mine HAS to go through just to fix every or any issue that might arise, we do everything within our power to make sure a possible "return" NEVER leaves our plant
It SHOULD be the same with any manufacturer, but it's not....and Chris is right, it could vary from one plant to another. My company has plants all over the world and has their "hands" in quite a few things and to keep that reputation, our motto is "Quality Without Compromise" and it's back by our credentials and certifications and awards that we've not only achieved TS 16949 and ISO 14001, but have also been awarded accolades from BMW, Volvo, Ford, GM and Chrysler as one of their top suppliers and "Zero defects" manufacturers....Some companies where these higher quality standards aren't in place or enforced are those that send out defective products....So yes, one plant in the United States manufacturing a particular tire could do much better than one in China manufacturing the same product, especially if processes haven't been put in place AND ENFORCED...heck, for that matter it could happen in the USA, one plant on the west coast could be a miserable failure with a lot of issues, one on the east coast could be a World Class manufacturer (as my company is)....
Didn't mean to go on, and this probably isn't the best analysis, but having been in manufacturing for approx.. 41 years as an Apprentice, Technician, Engineer and Supervisor, I know that QUALITY is the mainstay in any manufacturing plant that wants to be a success and build a good reputation...and if you're a Tier 1 World Wide Manufacturer, you REALLY have to work at keeping a stellar reputation NO MATTER WHERE one of your plants is located...Quality should follow along with the move; from the plant manager all the way down to the person/operator that is involved in the manufacturing process.
