How Chinese oil filters are made

[tommygunn]

Quote:
We are the specializes in manufacture filter products famous company,

As one of the biggest air filter manufacturers in China, we have about decades of experience in this line. If you will be willing to find a steady supplier for air filter in China, we are the best manufacturer that you can trust.

Our company have well-equipped, advanced technology, has more than 30 types of testing equipment. our also introduced advanced production line of separator air filter, and built 500m*m 1000 clean rooms, all air filters are effective in clearing the room to complete processing, assembly. it provide strong protection to tested every machine for the high quality production


Well, alrighty, then. Nice spacing on the pleads, though. And without further ado, here's China's self-proclaimed #2 air filter manufacturing plant:

 

[mikefxu]

http://lzrisun.en.alibaba.com/product/85...nufacturer.html

 

[901Memphis]

As usual, the translation isn't exact or their english is poor. Another sketchy filter!

 

[stickybuns]

In a lot of ways, human dexterity for these kinds of jobs can be OK. I can't see great product flow rates. Is that an OSHA inspector hiding in the shadows in those pictures?

 

[PF52]

Quote:
"...we are the best manufacturer that you can trust."


That's some faint praise!

 

[bubbatime]

EXACTLY why I buy American when I can. That "manufacturing facility" is a joke.

 

[Volvohead]

And then there's Wix:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R09Vc6tkDh0

 

[Sayjac]

I don't know, based on reading many posts on this board, seems many like, even prefer the made in China oil filters including DriveWorks, Prime Guard, Premium Guard, Ultra8/Nippon and others.

With the many US made and based manufacturers with reasonable prices, doesn't speak for me. Still, just sayin.

 

[stickybuns]

Fram has a factory in China, and we get some of those ToughGuards here in the West, although most come from U.S. factories. Wondering how much automation robotics they use in China for the factory there? This picture at top is a small-time operation.

 

[ElastoHydro]

So what? Keebler Elves work under similar conditions in this country and are forced to live in trees.

 

[antiqueshell]

At least it is a single story building so the employees can't jump from the top floor like they do at Fox Conn.


Actually even some of the major mfrs in China use much more human labor as opposed to automation because the help is so so so incredibly cheap when compared to to the cost of purchasing expensive machinary.

 

[Hootbro]

Thread title should be "How SOME Chinese oil filter are made".

There is other filter plants in China that are more automated that this one and is not indicative of all the oil filters we get here stateside from China.

 

[tommygunn]

Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Thread title should be "How SOME Chinese oil filter are made".

There is other filter plants in China that are more automated that this one and is not indicative of all the oil filters we get here stateside from China.


Well, of course SOME. I'm not 100% sure of whether you may or may not get a filter from that factory at a Jiffy Lube, though.

These are some other ones manufactured in China. Given that they're constructed to OEM specifications, they should be at least somewhat of a quality product. What ever may be up with that "Made in Germany" printing on the Mercedes filters, I don't know. Maybe the packaging is made in Germany or so.

 

[OVERKILL]

I've contacted Mercedes about this as I find that quite alarming.

 

[OVERKILL]

I received a response from Mercedes about the above filters:

Originally Posted By: Mercedes-Benz

Dear Mr. *****:

Thank you for taking the time to write us, we appreciate your interest in Mercedes-Benz products.

The information provided on the links below do not refer to authentic Mercedes-Benz parts, as the packaging does not have the individual serial number hologram.
Please note that parts without the serial number hologram are counterfeit parts. As such we recommend only purchasing parts from an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership, to ensure their authenticity.

Kind regards,

Frédéric
Customer Relations
Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.


So it looks like the "Mercedes" parts listed on the Alibaba website, and bearing the "made in Germany" label are in fact counterfeit! And this is just another reason why buying my BMW parts from a local official BMW dealership continues to make sense.

I'm also quite please that Mercedes took the time to look at the information both in this thread and on Alibaba and review it. Mercedes now has my interest as a future buyer.

 

[JDW]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
I received a response from Mercedes about the above filters:

Originally Posted By: Mercedes-Benz

Dear Mr. *****:

Thank you for taking the time to write us, we appreciate your interest in Mercedes-Benz products.

The information provided on the links below do not refer to authentic Mercedes-Benz parts, as the packaging does not have the individual serial number hologram.
Please note that parts without the serial number hologram are counterfeit parts. As such we recommend only purchasing parts from an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership, to ensure their authenticity.

Kind regards,

Frédéric
Customer Relations
Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.


So it looks like the "Mercedes" parts listed on the Alibaba website, and bearing the "made in Germany" label are in fact counterfeit! And this is just another reason why buying my BMW parts from a local official BMW dealership continues to make sense.

I'm also quite please that Mercedes took the time to look at the information both in this thread and on Alibaba and review it. Mercedes now has my interest as a future buyer.


Good work

 

[SteveSRT8]

Pretty awesome that Merc has a system to prove authenticity!

 

[fdcg27]

IOW, DB can't really do anything about faked parts made in China, since the Chinese authorities aren't likely to be too concerned and DB doesn't want them causing trouble for its Chinese car sales if it makes a lot of noise.
This email advises only caveat emptor, as though most of us didn't already know that.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
IOW, DB can't really do anything about faked parts made in China, since the Chinese authorities aren't likely to be too concerned


Exactly.

Quote:
and DB doesn't want them causing trouble for its Chinese car sales if it makes a lot of noise.


Not sure about that part. I think Chinese people buying MB cars would want authentic MB-quality filtration too. These parts are counterfeit and targeted at those shopping online for a "good deal".

Quote:
This email advises only caveat emptor, as though most of us didn't already know that.


Certainly, but it also serves another purpose:

In the above post I was responding to, these pictures were shown as examples of genuine OEM parts being manufactured by Chinese companies. An example that these Chinese filter manufacturers can and in fact DO produce OEM-quality parts.

Mercedes has just told us that these filters are NOT OEM filters, they do NOT carry the authentic markings of Genuine Mercedes-Benz parts and the markings that are present are in fact forgeries. That completely deflates the point being made about quality Chinese-sourced OEM parts! And also points to the distribution chains being a huge issue for entry of illegitimate products being sold as genuine OEM.

So while it might be obvious that Mercedes points out that you should be buying Mercedes parts from Mercedes dealers this thread itself is an example of WHY that approach that they advocate makes sense. If they are in control of the distribution process from manufacture until the part is in your hands this essential eliminates the potential for you to end up with products like those depicted in the above pictures.

This also sheds some light on why BMW has in recent years taken an active effort to warn buyers against counterfeit parts, particularly filters. This appears to be a rather serious issue for both German marques.

 

[SilverC6]

I bought one of these but I found myself wanting another just a couple of hours later....