The word PCB refers to polychlorinated biphenyl, and it is a family of stable industrial compounds. Common uses for PCBs are lubricants, heat-transfer fluids, plasticizers, and solder pastes. These chemicals are banned in the United States since the 1970s due to their toxic effects on the environment. Especially harmful to invertebrates and fish, PCBs remain in the food chain for years.
Whether it's a catastrophic failure or a latent field failure, nothing is more frustrating and expensive than when a circuit board stops functioning. The design was prototyped and thoroughly tested, and yet, it has problems once in full production. What happened?!
This article is first in a series exploring how U.S. companies can source goods in China, and it focuses on how those companies that cannot afford to establish overseas offices or manufacturing operations can effectively and efficiently source suppliers in China. We will focus on how a smaller U.S. company can and should go about locating suppliers in China.
