quality – Shanghai Metal Corporation

“Made in China”, the rise of a new label

“Made in China” is probably what you find the most since decades on all the products you are buying during your shopping sessions. Your outfit is probably manufactured by some Chinese people thought.

But let’s come back on the reputation of the “Made in China” seen by the Western countries. When you hear the mention “Made in China”, you probably suppose products of bad quality, bad conditions of the workers and reminds you some scandals which happened at some times.

We can’t say that these facts don’t exist, but we can moderate what you’re thinking.

Chinese workers are not today working for $1 per day, in wretched conditions. In fact, in 2013, the average cost of labor in China is only the average of half the cost in the US and increase each year on an average of 20%, and could reach 60% in 2015 according to the Boston Consulting Group.

China is today too expensive for most of the western companies of the textile industry which desire to reduce their cost of production. Western countries rather relocate their production in India, Philippines and Bangladesh which are looking like Chine 15 years before.

The problem of most of the Chinese companies is not limited technologies, or unskilled workers, the biggest problem which explain sometimes the fact that the quality is not good enough is really strict bill of specifications. Western companies want large quantities in very short delays at really low prices. The thing is that today, to respect the short delays of the Western companies, some Chinese companies rather deliver products with a lower quality by respecting the delays and low prices.

Marco Polo on the silk road, Catalan Atlas, XIV century. BNF

China have been during thousands of years for Western countries the manufacturer of products really appreciated as silk, spices, jewelry, cashmere, carried on the silk road in direction to Europe, which were synonyms of a high quality and a know-how inimitable.

Today Chinese companies want to go back to this time when hallmarks of Chinese products were synonym of high quality. The Chinese government is investing in some companies as Xiaomij and Lenovo which are breaking the rules by creative innovating products making forget for the buyers the “Made in China” label.

With a massive workforce and a government engaging his companies to innovation, Chinese companies should see their reputation raised in the next few years. As an encouraging observation, today we found 6 companies based in China on Forbes’ Most Innovative Companies List.

Today, Shanghai Metal Corporation also wants to set things right for their “Made in China” label, providing excellent services, products of a great quality at attractive prices and secured packaging to their customers to insure the security of their orders. SMC has many certifications proving the quality of their products and is ready to receive potential customers to their factories to show them the respect of the certification restrictions.

So don’t hesitate to visit our website or to contact us for any information needed about our products.

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Damien / SMC Editor

Luxurious Teaware Design Inspired by Ferrari

One of the world’s most complex teaware techniques, Tsuiki craftsmanship (‘tsuikidoki’ in Japanese) has its roots among the famous rice fields of Niigata, in the town of Tsubame. Claimed to be the only ones in the world who know and use these techniques with such a perfection, teaware and sake-ware craftshop Gyokusendo reveals the key behind its copperware success.

Patience is all it requires during the twenty to thirty years learning process to become a tsuikidoki craftsman. Such a profession doesn’t cost only time but also big bucks. Trying to give a more modern look to the two hundred year-old technique of hand-hammering copper sheets, Gyokusendo saw the designer extraordinaire Ken Okuyama, a wristwatches lover, especially those from TAG Heuer, as a great partner.

The 51-year-old made a name for himself as the Pininfarina design director behind the Ferrari Enzo, Maserati Quattroporte, and Maserati Birdcage concept. Since leaving the Italian styling powerhouse in 2006, Okuyama has expanded his design focus to encompass everything from iron tea pots to eyewear, furniture to massage chairs, motorcycles to sports cars, buildings to robots and even the next-generation Shinkansen bullet train.

Now, his drawings had to become reality in the hands of the artisans at Gyokusendo who were met with the challenge of turning copper sheets into three dimensional teapot. Experienced smiths master this fine art and are able to strike the copper sheet just enough, which is crucial since it’s difficult to make the copper contract later on.

Gyokusendo’s copperware of a wide variety of colors and shades is unique. The surface oxidization adds a nice patina to the artwork when tin and potassium sulfide are fused onto the surface of the copper.

You may wonder why copper is so special in this art. Well, copper has antibacterial properties, and it purifies the water, meaning that the copper ions mellow the flavor of the tea and sake. So over the time it becomes even more lustrous, and the flavor becomes more full and rich: copper turns ordinary water into ‘good water’, to mellow tea, and mellow sake.

Shanghai Metal Corporation offers a wide range of metals such as copper, widely used in architectural artifacts such as Gyokusendo’s teaware and sake-ware. To find out more, please visit our Website or send your inquiry here. Our English speaking professionals will be more than pleased to help you. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

Source: gyokusendo.com, designboom.com, motortrend.com

Camilla G.//SMC Editor

Copper Pots And Pans: The Rolls-Royce of All Cookware

Cooking is not only an art but it also involves a bit of science. If you want good results, getting the right temperature and heat requires precision and experience. Therefore, to achieve these results the quality of the cookware is indispensable. Cheap quality cheap pans can ruin your food and your reputation due to uneven cooking, heat spots and burned food.

However, good quality copper pans can make a huge difference. There is a great variety of cheap cookware available on the market. But what we don’t realize is the simple fact that a one-time investment in high quality cookware will set you up for many years to come while offering functionality and a great aesthetic appeal too.

What makes copper a great cookware?

It has been a favorite amongst gastronomic experts for centuries. It has always been considered the elite of cookware, owing to its beautiful metallic sheen that gives it a beautiful appearance, and its admirable workability. Copper is known as one of the best conductors of heat. So, it gets heated up quickly and evenly. In copper bottom cookware the heat is evenly spread from the bottom to the walls and edges.

This ensures that food cooks evenly from all sides. Heat spots are unheard of in copper cookware. It is also designed to stand the test of time due to its solidity. Cheaper cookware starts to chip or crack over time and are prone to rust and it gives away too soon. High quality copper cookware can be passed from generations to generations while keeping its quality, beauty, sturdiness, durability and fuel efficiency.

Copper cookware has always been considered the Rolls-Royce of all cookware. Copper pots and pans are a great choice for any kitchen; whether you are an expert cook, or a novice conducting, this cookware can make cooking pleasurable and hassle free. The best thing is that you get control over the heat. As soon as the knob is turn off or lowered the copper cookware will respond quickly and adjust. So, you can cook food perfectly leaving nothing to luck. You seriously could not ask for anything better and more sophisticated.

As an international manufacturer and supplier for copper sheet and bronze sheet, Shanghai Metal Corporation produces slitting, edging, and oscillates winding to fit your specific copper requirements. To find out more, please visit our Website or send your inquiry here. Our English speaking personnel will be more than pleased to help you. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

Source: onthegas.org, brookegiannetti.typepad.com, fxcuisine.com, trovatistudio.com

William P.//SMC Editor

Very Affordable, Metal Roofing Can Give You A Dream House

If your company is facing an increasing demand for steel roofing, how can it be explained from a construction perspective?

Jean Dubois, an architect working for LAN, one of the leading French architecture company, answers ”Indeed this new material is little by little replacing the tiles system and is now the most demanded one for modern houses. Its success can be explained by its two main strengths. On the one hand it is very pure in both its shape and its uniform color; this is very sought in modern design. On the other hand, it is much more interesting on a price and sustainability perspective, compared to the market’s alternatives products”.

To the same question, Ted Smith, civil engineer working for a L.A. based building Construction Company, infinity remodeling, goes along with Jean Dubois’ point and explains the reasons. “This material is indeed getting more and more market share. 20 years ago, people were only getting a steel roof for its attractive price. Now that some leading metal corporations have implemented the galvanized technology into the roofing steel, there is no more corrosion. It improved both its longevity and looking aspect. People can get a super good and clean looking roof for a untold amount of time. This is why it is highly demanded in our newly ordered business offices”.

When it is cheaper, more reliable, more durable and cool looking, what is the point of keeping on using tiles? We, at Shanghai Metal Corporation, are committed to the sustainable manufacture of value added insulating galvanized steel products and prides ourself on exceeding international standards of quality and reliability. We guarantee the best prices, quality support, and fast delivery. To find out more, please visit our Website or send your inquiry here. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

Source and Photo credit: lan-paris.com, infinityremodeling.com, trendir.com, house-design.com, englertinc.com, pac-clad.com

Arthur D.//SMC Editor

Shipping Container Hospitals – The Future of Saving Lives

Shipping containers can be transformed into mobile hospitals just like they can be transformed into offices, homes, hotels, theaters, nightclubs, shelters, stores or swimming pools. Because of their modularity and availability, shipping container hospitals can become true life savers in the future.

Container hospitals have been already set up all over the world. For instance, container clinics were needed when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti in 2010 and a large part of the Grace Children’s hospital in the capital Port-au-Prince was demolished. Help was offered by a Massachusetts based company Containers2Clinic that send their 8 X 20 feet container to the island to compensate the great infrastructural loss of the local hospital. (source)

The first shipping container clinics were invented by Michael Wawrzewski who designed the concept of Clinics in a Can in 2005. Wawrzewski was also nominated as the AAPA‘s 2005 Physician Assistant of the year for his work in developing quality, cost-effective and accessible health-care. His first clinic was assembled in Kansas and shipped to Haiti on July 2005. (source)

An example of combining health care and great design is shown by an Indonesian firm DPavilion Architects has utilized the country’s rich resource base of shipping containers and built The Contertainer, a shipping container health clinic and a library in the island of Jawa. The shipping container complex is meant to provide better quality of life for those who have little money.

Shipping containers are built according to international ISO standards and designed to be stacked and piled up in a container ship. They have also made from durable steel in order enhance their use time and to be able to handle rough weather. As the example of The Contertainer shows, even the exterior design of the mobile clinics is not limited the original appearance of containers.

Container hospitals are the future of health care. For people in areas of low income and weak availability of health care services, setting up a pop-up clinic can be a life saver. Even in urban areas or peripheries patients do not necessarily have to be transported long distances in an ambulance because these pop-up hospitals can be placed almost anywhere. For nonprofits such as Unicef or Red Cross this solution is a must. Investing in setting up a container clinic to underdeveloped areas is a great way for businesses to show their corporate social responsibility.

Shipping containers can be purchased from Shanghai Metal Corporation. We have a large variety of shipping containers and we are also specialized shipping container prefabricated construction projects. For any details please visit our website. Please also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Pictures and original articles: Marine Insight, Inhabitat, Popular Mechanics, Hospitals of Hope, Inhabitat, Get Simple Box, Container Living, Clinic in a Can

New Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime built with aluminum case to mimic the visual appeal of iPhone

A picture of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S5 Prime has recently leaked on the internet showing the smartphone with a silver brushed aluminum rear case.

Instead of offering a product design different from its formidable competitor Apple, Samsung is taking a different approach. Samsung plans on releasing its Galaxy S5 Prime, also referred to as Galaxy F and Galaxy Alpha (in Korea), in September with a new case made from aluminum, similar to the case Apple has used on its past three iPhone models. This will be the first time Samsung has ever used a metal case one of its smartphones. The company hopes that the new sleek case will portray an image of higher quality to consumer than previous Galaxy products.

Consumers find Apple’s anodized aluminum unibody case appealing because they like their smartphones to feel premium. The current Galaxy S5 is made of plastic and to many consumers the product comes off cheap and unreliable. Tech companies have conducted comparison reviews on the two company’s current flagship smartphones, the iPhone 5S with the Samsung Galaxy S5, and say that the aluminum built quality of the iPhone 5 is much nicer to look at than the Galaxy S5. Samsung was disappointed with its sales revenue from the Galaxy S5 and feels like the change in the case, along with an upgraded higher resolution display and other capability upgrades, will allow the company to take back its share of the market.

The Galaxy S5 release did not give Samsung the kind of sales the company is accustomed to when it introduces its latest and greatest device and fell behind profits Apple received when it released the iPhone 5.

By transitioning to aluminum, the Galaxy S5 Prime will be lighter and sturdier than the old plastic case. The Galaxy S5 Prime will also have the ability to be even more dust and water resistant than it already claims to be. Aluminum is able to conduct heat and therefore will be able to be thinner and run more effectively in extreme environments. Aluminum is known for being a high quality durable metal. Shanghai Metal Corporation offers a wide array of value-added aluminum products to meet the needs of customers across various industries. Take the time to look at our product line on our website here.

Sources: International Business Times, Tech Times, Localytics

Kristie K.//SMC Editor