The Effects of Cheap Products on Engineering Jonathan Kotyk University of Central Florida ENC1102 Dr.

Steffen Guenzel April 18, 2013

Engineering The Effects of Cheap Products on Engineering With the push for cheaper prices, products are having to be produced cheaper. Engineers are having to design around these demands so they can make products that people are willing to buy. They have been able to use cheaper materials to produce quality goods. Engineers are coming up with new designs that incorporate cheaper material into them. The down side about cheaper materials is that you can't design products that are comparable to higher end goods. This means that goods won't last very long and will have a higher rate of failure. The issue with cheaper goods is that it does not take as much skill to produce them. This is why companies outsource their goods to

countries with low work standards. This allows them to produce the goods very cheaply. I will be looking into when the push for cheaper goods began, where cheap goods are being made, and how the design and production of cheap goods are effecting engineering today. The deskilling of products began during the industrialization period. This is when production lines were becoming popular. With the invention of the production line, goods were now being assembled very quickly and not much skill was required to put the goods together. The Industrial Revolution took place during the 18th and 19th centuries in "rural societies in Europe and America" (History, 2013). This is when powered machines started mass producing products in factories. "The iron and textile industries, along with the development of the steam engine, played central roles in the Industrial Revolution, which also saw improved systems of transportation, communication, and banking" (History, 2013). The steam engine provided power to the machines which allowed them

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to run. Before the use of steam engines, goods were made by hand using simple machines in peoples homes (Backer). The goods were usually sold in shops where people usually bought their goods. People relied upon themselves and the community to provide goods that they needed. Everything from food from clothing was produced locally (School History). The majority of people lived in rural town and life mostly centered around the farm. Britain was the "leading colonial power" at the time and had many raw materials which allows people to make different goods (History, 2013). With the demand for more products, merchants needed a cost efficient way to produce their goods. This led to the rise of mechanization and the factory. The textile industry and iron industry played major roles in the Industrial Revolution. The invention of the "spinning jenny, a machine that enabled an individual to produce multiple spools of thread simultaneously" gave people the opportunity to produce textiles cheaper and quicker (History, 2013). This invention in the textile industry rapidly industrialized the industry. The other major development during the Industrial Revolution was in the iron industry. In "the early 18th century , Englishman Abraham Darby discovered a cheaper, easier method to produce cast iron, using a coke-fueled furnace" (History, 2013). British engineer Henry Bessemer also discovered a cheaper way to produce steel. Iron and steel became essential materials that were used in everything from tools to ships. The steam engine was a pivotal invention during the Industrial Revolution. James Watt improved upon Thomas Newcomen's first steam engine design and the "steam engine went on to power machinery, locomotives, and ships" (History, 2013). This improved manufacturing allowing goods to be produce faster and cheaper. "While industrialization brought about an increased volume and of

Engineering manufactured goods and an improved standard living for some, it also resulted in often grim employment and living conditions for the poor and working classes" (History,

2013). This provide people with a job and many tasks did not required an education. The Industrial Revolution reduced the amount of craftsman who made handmade goods. Before the Industrial Revolution, craftsman were skilled in making goods and these goods were expensive to purchase. Once the Industrial Revolution began, goods were being mass produced. Goods were cheaper and people did not have to rely on craftsman anymore. This was the start of the assembly line where goods were made quickly and in large quantities. With the Industrial Revolution changing the way companies made their products, people were now starting to demand more affordable goods. Designing and producing quality goods costs money, but when everyone wants cheap goods, the products are going to have to be designed and produced cheaply. We will first look into where the cheap products are made. Many goods are being sent to countries where they are able to produce cheap goods very cheaply (wiseGeek, 2013). The factories that manufacture cheap products can have very unhealthy and dangerous work environments. Workers can be around dangerous machines or chemicals that can increase the risk of getting injured. If "a worker is unhappy that pay is too low or the conditions are too harsh, he or she can easily be replaced: there are millions of other waiting in line for the job" (Hays, 2008). Many people quit their jobs if they don't like them and there are many other workers that are willing to fill their spot. The workers in "these latter-day sweatshops are, after all, taking part in Chinas astounding economic growth" (The Quotidian, 2009). China is on of the world leaders in producing cheap

Engineering products. They are not seeing anywhere near a big enough share of the proceeds, but its hard to imagine a mechanism by which their lot would be improved were enlightened

American consumers to suddenly withdraw their dollars (The Quotidian, 2009). To some extent, the life of a sweatshop worker is a freely chosen one, however miserable the choice may be, its a choice between making an income for your family or being frowned upon for not being successful. People in the world today are more willing to buy cheaper goods mostly because they are affordable. Many factory workers earn only $50 a month, but if they work hard, they can make up to $100 or $150 a month (Hays, 2008). These low wage factories usually provide room and board for their workers. A worker can buy a meal for fifty cents (Hays, 2008). Workers don't earn high wages because goods are usually cheap in areas where cheap goods are produced. Many industries in manufacturing areas compete against each other trying to take over certain markets (Tichkiewitch, 2007). Competition in the textile industry is very fierce and profit margins are low. The companies in the textile industry are not making very much money off their goods so they can't pay their workers a high salary. If the companies did, they would not make any profit. It is hard for the companies to reduce costs more than they already are (Yan, 2012). Profits are made in volume and keeping lead times minimal to reduce inventories (Hays 2008). One of the biggest problems the textile industry has been securing good supplies. Many countries don't have enough resources to produce goods so they have to import raw materials (Bettencourt, 2011). Companies want to pay the lowest price for raw materials which allows them to make more profit. In 2005, China exported $16 billion worth of textiles to the United States which accounted for 23 percent of the

Engineering market (Hays, 2008). Now in 2007, Chinese goods accounted for 50 to 80 percent of the United States market (Hays, 2008). Many industries in China have thrived not only because of abundant cheap labor but also because of high productivity, logistical smarts and clustering. Many factories are located in clusters and feed off one another and are near ports where they goods can be exported (Hays, 2008). This allows factories to reduce the cost of shipping their products. Reducing shipping costs, paying workers low wages, and having rough working conditions explains how goods can be made cheaply. With cheap goods being produced in unfavorable work environments, the workers producing the goods are not highly skilled and willing to do anything to make a living.

After looking into where cheap goods are made, we will now look at how they are designed and produced. IKEA is a company that is constantly innovating new ways of designing and producing cheap goods. They have engineered a way of packing their products flat so they can not only save money but space as well (Shell 2009). This allows them to limit packing material which reduces the cost of packing an item. Like many companies IKEA outsources to find cheap raw materials to make their products. Going to countries such as China and Russia to purchase lumber for their furniture allows IKEA to obtain raw materials very cheaply. "IKEA's designers work directly with suppliers to ensure that whatever object they dream up can be built for less money than customers have any right to expect" (Shell, 2009). They have not only been able produce goods affordably and stylish but soulful (The Quotidian, 2009). By giving a product character, it separates itself from other goods that are similar. IKEA gives its products names like Billy bookcase to make it relatable to buyers. This helps to attract buyers even though

Engineering they know a product is made cheaply. Engineering the way a product is made attracts

buyers even though a product is made cheaply. Objects can be "designed to low price, but they cannot be crafted to low price" (Shell, 2009). Using cheap materials to build a product helps to reduce its cost. Many cheap products are made out of recyclable materials such as plastic or wood. This allows products to be designed and produced cheaper but they can have a higher rate of failure (The Quotidian, 2009). When a particle board book shelf is loaded with heavy books, it tends to buckle. If the owner decides to fix the problem by adding supports it is more than likely that the particle board will crumble and fall apart (Shell, 2009). Using real wood and not particle board would result in a shelf that would be of better quality. Higher quality items tend to last longer and don't fail as often. Also higher quality items cost more money to design and produce that is why they have a high sticker price. Engineers design cheap goods using cheap materials so they will likely fail when they are put under stress. We have to understand that these goods will not work as well as goods of higher quality (Lynch, 2007). The reason why people buy cheap goods is that they resist involvement. "We tend to invest less in their purchase, care, and maintenance, and that's part of what makes them so attractive" (Shell, 2009). People usually over look the flaws in cheap products because they understand why them products are cheap. Cheap goods are not designed to fail or fall apart but we expect they will. We accept that and that is why people purchase cheap goods. Despite the push for cheaper goods, engineers have been able to design and produce goods around these demands. They have come up with new products that can be

Engineering made cheaper. Engineers have been able to use cheaper materials to produce quality

goods reducing the price. By creating more intricate design's engineers have been able to create cheap goods that are reliable and safe. With consumers demands for new innovative products that are affordable, engineers are constantly working on new products that can comparable to higher end goods. Responding to the consumers demands for cheaper products, it is safe to say engineers have been effected by cheap products.

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Engineering References Backer, P. R. (n.d.). Industrialization of american society. Retrieved from http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/pabacker/industrial.htm

Bettencourt, L. (2011). Innovating on the cheap. Harvard Business Review, 89(6), 88-94. Builders Merchants Journal. (2012). Cheap imports are having a dramatic effect on margins. Hays, J. (2008). Cheap labor industries--textiles, furniture, sporting goods. Retrieved from http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=1107&catid=9 History. (2013). Industrial revolution. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution Lynch, D. J. (2007). Do cheap chinese goods have to mean trade-off in quality? . USA TODAY. Retrieved from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/world/2007-0702-china-risks_N.htm School History. (n.d.). Before the industrial revolution. Retrieved from http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/IndustrialRevolution/beforeindustrialisation.ht m Shell, E. (2009). Cheap the highcost of discount culture. New York: Penguin Group. The Quotidian. (2009). Do we pay too much for our cheap goods?. Retrieved from http://thequotidian.org/2009/08/24/do-we-pay-too-much-for-our-cheap-good/ Tichkiewitch, S. (2007). Advances in integrated design and manufacturing in mechanical engineering ii . (2nd ed.). France: Springer. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/eds/detail?vid=2&sid=b79ffe19b4c6-4341-

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b907fdb37dc373bb@sessionmgr13&hid=6&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU mc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ== wiseGeek. (2013). What is an income effect?. Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-income-effect.htm Yan, H. (2012). History of mechanical technology and mechanical design 2012 : selected peer reviewed papers from the 9th international conference on history of mechanical technology and mechanical design,. Switzerland : Trans Tech Publications.