This is really, really scary reading!
http://www.beama.org.uk/Newsletter/Issue2/articles/beamainstallation.htm An excerpt from the article:
"This fair is a sad indictment on the Chinese manufacturing industry. It's a huge exhibition with 8,000 stands. All have one thing in common - they export from China.
About 300 stands are showing electrical installation products. Almost every stand has dead copies or look-a-likes of every famous brand and design. Some blatantly display brand names. Most have no brand name or show their own name, but will easily supply you with any brand you want. If you ask for a particular name - you'll most likely get it.
Worse still, you can ask for any BS or IEC number. They will print anything on the product - whether it's applicable or not. Any fault level you want printed can be provided, true or false. Any product, any brand, any spec, to any market - nothing is sacred, no market rejected.
Even more worrying is the price. The lower the price, the lower the quality. They tell you this quite openly. The price governs the quality. If the price means some of the components have to be omitted, then so be it.
MCBs without overloads, MCCBs without arc chutes. Contactors without plated contacts. Wiring accessories without shutters. Fuses without elements. The characteristics mentioned on these copies are worryingly poor. But, if you want a test certificate, you'll get one - they'll do anything you want. "
[This message has been edited by C-H (edited 03-02-2004).]
