Minelab's Production Rate

[Tyran]

Hi Steve,

Have you had the chance of visiting the Minelab Manufacture Facilities? Just wondering how many units, say of Equinox 800, they can produce in one day? Like how long would it take them to produce and ship Worldwide the total "Pre-Order" number of units, assuming 5,000 Equinox 800 have been pre-ordered? The 5,000 number is a wild guess; it could be a stupid number but you probably have a feel for how many units would be reasonable as a first shipment.

Thanks Steve,

Tyran

[Steve Herschbach]

No, I have not seen Minelab’s manufacturing facilities. They still do some manufacturing in Australia and Ireland but the bulk is now farmed out to Plexus, a U.S. based company, and manufactured in the Plexus Riverside facility in Penang, Malaysia.

From https://www.minelab.com/consumer/knowledge-base/history:

“Since December 2009, the Codan Group’s manufacturing service provider, Plexus Corp, a US company, situated in Penang, Malaysia has been responsible for the majority of Minelab’s worldwide metal detector production. Minelab is proud of its association with its outsource partner in Malaysia. Genuine Minelab metal detectors are exclusively manufactured by Minelab in Australia and by Plexus Corp, USA in the Malaysian facility.”

From http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/68/Plexus-Corporation.html:

“Plexus was incorporated in Wisconsin in 1979 and began operations in 1980. The company was founded by Peter Strandwitz, John Nussbaum, and a group of other entrepreneurs, interested in a venture to design and build computer circuit boards by contract. Located in the eastern Wisconsin city of Neenah, on Lake Winnebago, the new company found the bulk of their early work through contracts with IBM.”

Plexus Corp.
One Plexus Way 
Neenah, WI 54956

• Public Company
• Incorporated:1979
• Employees:3,150
• Sales:$492.4 million (1999)
• Stock Exchanges:NASDAQ
• Ticker Symbol:PLXS

From https://www.plexus.com/en-us/news/utc-aerospace-systems-recognizes-plexus-with-utc-s:

“NEENAH, WI – December 7, 2017 - Plexus (NASDAQ: PLXS) a global leader in providing design and development, manufacturing, supply chain and aftermarket services, announced today that UTC Aerospace Systems has recognized the Plexus Riverside facility in Penang, Malaysia with UTC Supplier Gold status. UTC Aerospace Systems is one of the world’s largest suppliers of technologically advanced aerospace and defense products.
 
UTC Supplier Gold status program recognizes suppliers for world-class, integrated supply chain performance. To achieve Supplier Gold status, suppliers must achieve zero escapes (quality rejections), 100% on-time delivery, overall customer satisfaction and a score greater than or equal to 80% on a supplier health assessment.”

Plexus Riverside facility:

 

I have no idea what the manufacturing bottlenecks are as regards Equinox. It seems obvious to me however that it is designed for high speed manufacturing processes, and there is no reason why a modern facility like that shown above could not make thousands of units per day.

 

[canslawhero]

pretty nostalgic, while an engineer for MIPS in the late 80's (Silicon Valley) I worked with Plexus as they were chartered with assembling/testing computer systems for us. Heady times....

Only when I left MIPS for Apple did the real fun begin...

I plan to get an EQ 800 as soon as they arrive here in Canada and will start learning/testing with it even with the ground frozen. I plan to find some good spots that I'll return to in March/April....My military discount (US Vietnam Vet) is already approved which is nice.

cheers, and Steve, can't wait till you can open the literary floodgates!

[Randy Dee]

Thank Steve for some information which I wasn't aware of, I always believed that Minelab had fostered out manufacture of their detectors to China.

 

[Cabo Chris]

9 minutes ago, Randy Dee said:

 

Thank Steve for some information which I wasn't aware of, I always believed that Minelab had fostered out manufacture of their detectors to China.

 

When it says Made in China on Minelab Detectors is the day I'd stop buying them!

[Cabo Chris]

Because of the nature of the Equinox release I speculate... only because I want one... like now!  At this point expecting a ML announcement any day, I wonder at what points the tweaking and manufacturing are?  Has manufacturing even started... like all the plastic parts?  The electronics?  Even the batteries?  Or are several thousand ready to ship, perhaps waiting for final software uploads?

At this point one would think the Equinox is ready to ship after bugs/changes are finalized.  I also wonder just how many pre-sales there really are?  Many may say they'll order, but how many are willing to part with $900 so quickly?  Were this a $2500 machine... I would wait for sure.  So perhaps the lower price gets more to pull the trigger and perhaps many on the 600 too?  That's if the 600 will be available soon?  If there are thousands of pre-orders, then some of us may have to wait on production?  

I want an Equinox to see if it suits a specific detecting task for me.  I like everything I see about the NOX, only despite a new technology, suspect the NOX will be a Jack of All Trades.  Most likely a good one at that... but were I a prospector, I seriously doubt the Equinox would replace my ATX/ML Gold detectors.  As a serious deep silver coin hunter would the NOX replace my top coin detector?  Unless I read wrong,ML said the new MF technology was not as Hot on silver as FBS.  

I would think many on the detecting forums lean towards specific detecting, such as nuggets, coins, or in my case shallow water.  Will the NOX really be that good to replace the current hunt specific Top Dog machines?  Again, as a compromise machine the NOX calls like candy does to kids!  I want one, I want one, I want one!  I understand why X-Terra users might see the NOX as an upgrade, must have.  It will be interesting to see how the Equinox supply/demand story unfolds.  At first either a NOX will be difficult to get- or easy, depending on production/demand.  I wonder when the first Used NOX will show up online for sale/auction?  

[TedinVT]

It's good to see the question about production capacity out there.  The other half of that question is is the logistics of distribution worldwide able to handle the task as quickly as we would all like?  Then that brings up the question of will distribution favor all countries the same?

[Redneck]

2 hours ago, Cabo Chris said:

As a serious deep silver coin hunter would the NOX replace my top coin detector?  Unless I read wrong,ML said the new MF technology was not as Hot on silver as FBS.  

Read the posts where Steve is finding silver in parks on a regular basis.  Also read the old classifieds where Steve sold his ctx.    Hmmmm.    Chris, you may need to think about this one.  

 

+