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How to avoid or reduce quality risks with the purchasing of lower-priced auto spare parts (I)

International buyers constantly receive product quotations from various Chinese suppliers when purchasing auto spare parts in China, and they could almost always find a lower quotation than the one they already have, leading many buyers to assume that there is simply no lowest but always lower price in China!

While the prices could be really attractive, some buyers will have persistent doubts about the quality of these products: can the quality of these products be guaranteed? Are the products produced in accordance with international standards or customer requirements? Can the service life meet the requirements of warranty period? Will the suppliers accept claims for defective parts within the warranty period? Making decision on the suppliers with acceptable price levels has never been easy.

Starting with this issue, we will share with you our experience on the selection of suppliers whose products are of high sales frequencies and large sales volumes,using selected products as examples:

Bind belt

Bind belt’s also known as cargo strapping. It is used to fix the goods in transportation, moving, shipping or storage. Used for locking and tightening, they are safe, reliable, light and easy to handle, and can protect objects from being damaged. They can be used in various environments with different hook types. 

The bind belt may also be referred to as ratchet tie-down, fastening device or fastening belt. In this article, we will be discussing the light and heavy-duty “Ratchet Tie Down” popular in Europe.

In Europe, ratchet tie-down products are mainly used to bundle goods when they are transported by containers and truck and trailers, to prevent damages to people caused by goods moving, tilting, collapsing or falling off from vehicles in transportation. When trucks and trailers commonly seen on highways are driving at high speed, goods falling off onto the highway due to failed binding devices would directly cause damages to the vehicles following behind. This may lead to continuous collisions and terrible traffic accidents.

When the causes of the accidents are later investigated, the failures of the binding devices could be traced back to the traders or manufacturers. The suppliers will then have to bear the financial losses and other related liabilities from the consequences and losses of the accidents depending on the severity of the traffic accidents.

With that in mind, the buyers for ratchet tie-downs need to think through on how to choose the sellers with high quality at lower prices when receiving various quotations from different suppliers. Shentou has had more than 20 years of experience in supplier qualifications and selections and we are ready to share that experience with you.

(To be continued)

By Felix SS YUAN

Vehicle LED Lighting

As technology continues to advance in the world of lighting, we can see the growing demand for LED lighting technology used in vehicles.

The advantages of using LED light in vehicles:

 ▲  Energy efficiency, environmental friendliness and long service life;

 ▲  High brightness, small size, good stability, etc.

The disadvantages:

 ▼  The cost of the LED light is higher than the regular vehicle light;

 ▼  The heat dissipation of LED lights is generally less well-designed currently, which is easy to cause light decay and affect the service life of the light;

 ▼  Lack of industry standard, resulting in non-standard product quality and wide differences in product life and prices.

Primary failure modes of vehicle LED lights:

For LED lighting, there are two main threats that affect its service life. One is impact from over current, the other is overheating damage. So the key factors in selecting vehicle LED lighting include: heat dissipation design, LED chips selection, and constant current characteristics of driving power supply.

Key quality control points:

A. Inspections of the appearance

Check whether the components are firmly combined, the framework and the circuit board in the circuit of the electronic rectifier are made of flame-retardant materials, and appropriate fuses are used in the electronic circuit.

B. Other inspection points

  ◆   Temperature: Turn on the light for about 5 minutes. If the temperature does not rise too fast, it usually means heat could be dissipated properly;

  ◆   Make sure the driver used is constant current circuit and there are proper protective functions for over current and overheating;

  ◆   Pay attention to the brand of the LED chips. Well-known brands will usually be more reliable but also more expensive.

Overall, the quality differences of vehicle LED lights come from the types of light, service life, heat dissipation structure and materials used. The lighting may look about the same, but the actual use and service life could be significantly different.

By Patrick HAN

CE Marking

The letters ‘CE’ appears on many products traded on the extended Single Market in the European Economic Area (EEA). They signify that products sold in the EEA have been assessed to meet high safety, health, and environmental protection requirements.

The CE marking is also found on products sold outside the EEA that are manufactured in, or designed to be sold in, the EEA. This makes the CE marking recognizable worldwide even to people who are not familiar with the European Economic Area.

CE marking applies to products, ranging from electrical equipment to toys and from civil explosives to medical devices. Not all products need CE marking to be traded in the EEA; only product categories subject to relevant directives or regulations are required (and allowed) to bear CE marking.

The automotive industry relies heavily on mechanical and electrical products and systems, machinery and software. In general, electronic or electrical engineering products need to have the CE markings. 

For detailed information, please visit https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/ce-marking/.

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