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PODCAST

China Manufacturing Decoded

Join Renaud Anjoran, Founder & CEO of Sofeast, in this podcast aimed at importers who develop their own products as he discusses the hottest topics and shares actionable tips for manufacturing in China & Asia today!WHO IS RENAUD?Renaud is a French ISO 9001 & 14001 certified lead auditor, ASQ certified Quality Engineer and Quality Manager who has been working in the Chinese manufacturing industry since 2005. He is the founder of the Sofeast group that has over 200 staff globally and

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All Episodes

47:05

Can You Afford to Manufacture Your Idea? Budget...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/12/05

Adrian is joined by Sofeast Group Head of New Product Development, Paul Adams, to unpack the brutal truth behind the question: “Can you actually afford to manufacture your new product idea?”They bust some of the most dangerous myths (like “MOQ × unit price is my total cost” and “we’ll fix reliability later”), then walk through Sofeast/Agilian’s 6-phase NPI process for electromechanical products and show how your budget is really consumed; from feasibility and prototyping through to tooling, pilot

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27:58

Mold in the Container: How to Protect Your Shipments...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/11/28

In episode 304 of China Manufacturing Decoded, Adrian is joined by Kate (Sofeast’s Supply Chain Management Manager) to dig into one of the nastiest hidden risks importers face: mold. They explain how weeks inside a hot, humid shipping container can ruin textiles, leather, wood, packaging, and even electronics, if humidity and packaging aren’t under control. Don't sleep on this risk; it can affect anyone importing products from Asia!Episode Sections: 00:13 – Why importers don’t think about what

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19:05

How to Hire a Real Quality Manager in China/Asia

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/11/21

Hiring a “quality manager” in China or Asia doesn’t always mean you’re getting someone who can actually protect your brand. In this episode, Renaud walks through how to tell a real quality leader from a simple document handler: the interview questions that expose true ISO 9001 competence, what strong (and weak) answers sound like, and how this role can either quietly drain money… or drive real improvement.Episode Sections: 00:00 – Cold Open: Can you trust that “quality manager”? 01:00 – Why the

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34:02

How to Reduce Injection Molding Costs Without...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/11/14

Adrian and Paul break down why molding costs “balloon” (over-tight tolerances and cosmetic overkill) and then walk through three practical levers to cut costs safely: smarter tooling design & DFM (wall thickness, draft, gates, material choice), good tooling decisions (steel grades like P20 vs H13, cavity count, hot vs cold runners), and production/process tweaks (machine tonnage matching, sensible regrind use, SPC/sensors, in-tool de-gating). They finish with some tooling-costs myth-busting

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31:19

What The October 30 Trump–Xi Trade Framework Means...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/11/07

The team unpacks October’s Trump–Xi meeting and the short-term “truce” it produced: a ~10 percentage-point cut on broad China tariffs tied to fentanyl controls, a one-year pause on rare-earth/magnet export controls, resumed Chinese purchasing of US soy/other ag, and continued Section 301 exclusions for key medical, electronics, HVAC, and solar items.We explain what actually shifted, what didn’t, and the practical moves US importers should make now. We close with signals from Chinese media and what

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36:40

Designing for Toughness: How to Specify & Achieve the...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/10/31

It's episode 300! Host Adrian and Sofeast head of NPD Paul Adams dig into IK ratings, what they measure (impact energy in joules), why they matter for real-world product abuse (drops, kicks, tool strikes), and how to connect use-case, environment, materials, and system-level design choices (wall thickness, ribs, radii, gate location) to hit targets like IK06–IK10.You’ll hear practical examples (from light switches to job-site drills), polymer options (PP, HIPS, ABS, PC/ABS blends), and environment

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36:25

Who’s Responsible? EU & UK Product Compliance...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/10/24

In episode 298, Renaud talks with Roberth Jonsson (24HourAR) about what “compliance” really means in the EU/UK. Industrial products, consumer goods, dropshipping; if you sell in the EU/UK under your own brand, you’re legally the manufacturer. That means CE testing alone won’t save you. You need the right directives/standards, a complete technical file, and (in most cases) an EU Responsible Person, often an Authorized Representative (AR).Episode Sections: 00:00:13 – Introduction. 00:03:20 – EU

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47:21

When Wearables Fail: Swelling Rings, Cracked Watches,...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/10/17

In episode 297 of China Manufacturing Decoded, host Renaud is joined by Sofeast reliability specialist Andrew Amirnovin to unpack why smart wearables so often fail in the field, and how to stop it. They break down real cases across rings, earbuds, watches, and smart glasses (think swollen cells, failing mics, cracked displays, and weak straps), then map fixes to a practical workflow: early DFMEA, designing for foreseeable misuse, test-to-failure (drops, sweat ingress, torsion), and ORT after any

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10:35

BONUS: China rare-earth export controls vs. U.S. 100%...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/10/15

Renaud breaks down this week’s one-two punch in the U.S.–China trade saga: Beijing’s new export controls on key rare-earth minerals (notably neodymium for high-strength magnets) and the White House’s counter-threat of a 100% tariff on made-in-China imports from November 1.He unpacks the “small yard, high fence” strategy, how China is now mirroring U.S. tools (FDPR-style controls, personnel restrictions, licensing), and what this means for your supply chain in the next few weeks. Episode

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30:14

From Sketch to Factory: Industrial Design For...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/10/10

In this episode of China Manufacturing Decoded, host Adrian is joined by Vera Roldan, head of the design department at Sofeast, to unpack how industrial design links user needs, aesthetics, and manufacturability. Vera outlines the practical workflow: research, mood boards, sketches, 3D CAD, renders, and tight collaboration with engineering and suppliers; plus why bringing design in early prevents costly rework. They cover differences between electronics and home goods, balancing looks with cost, the

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18:49

Getting PR Right and Trade Fair Tips for Hardware...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/10/03

In this episode, Adrian is joined by Kate, Sofeast's head of Supply Chain Management, who has just returned from IFA Berlin, Europe’s biggest consumer electronics trade fair. Together, they share key takeaways from the event, focusing on how PR can make or break your trade fair success. This episode offers actionable advice on getting media coverage, generating leads, and making the most out of your investment in trade shows.Episode Sections: 00:00 – Intro 01:11 – First Impressions of IFA

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28:52

Fail‑Safe by Design: Avoiding Catastrophic Product...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/09/26

In this episode, Adrian is joined by Renaud Anjoran to explore fail-safe design principles: essential thinking for anyone developing most kinds of products. Through real-world examples ranging from Tesla doors to Boeing and consumer electronics, they highlight how designers must ask: “If this fails, what happens to the user?” They break down why it matters, what trade-offs exist, and how structured risk analysis, simplification, redundancy, and error-proofing can dramatically reduce hazards and

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36:18

Choosing the Right Polymer Processing Method

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/09/19

In episode 293 of China Manufacturing Decoded, Adrian is joined by Sofeast’s Head of New Product Development, Paul Adams, for the final part of their trilogy on polymers.When people think of plastics, they usually picture injection molding. But it’s far from the only available process. We'll break down the major polymer processing methods, including injection moulding, extrusion, blow moulding, thermoforming, rotational moulding, and additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing). They

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44:19

Plastic Playbook: Choosing The Right Polymer

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/09/12

Choosing the right polymer for your plastic parts can significantly impact the success of your product. In this episode, Adrian and Paul Adams from Sofeast explore the most common polymers used in manufacturing, from everyday workhorses like ABS to high-performance engineering plastics and sustainable bioplastics.They cover the strengths, weaknesses, and real-world applications of each group, plus share a cautionary case study where a material change led to product failure. The episode wraps up

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9:12

BONUS: China’s Oct 1 Export Overhaul: What Every...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/09/11

Starting October 1st, 2025, the Chinese government is enforcing stricter export compliance rules that could significantly disrupt supply chains. Exporters will need to disclose the manufacturer’s identity and prove that every component was purchased the formal way, with aligned flows of materials, contracts, and tax invoices.In this short bonus episode, Renaud Anjoran explains: What the “formal way” means in practice How these rules may impact VAT rebates and why non-compliant products will no

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37:18

Prototype to Production: 7 Sneaky Pitfalls to Avoid

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/09/05

In episode 290 of China Manufacturing Decoded, Renaud Anjoran is back and joins Adrian to explore seven common pitfalls that can derail manufacturing projects during the critical transition from prototype to production.A working prototype may look and feel like the final product, but moving from prototype to mass production is a far more complex journey than most teams expect. From premature tooling to unreliable crowdfunding campaigns, missing test plans, and skipped pilot runs, these mistakes can

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31:26

When To Sign Off On Injection Mold Tooling — Inside...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/08/29

Episode 289: Adrian is joined again by our head of New Product Development, Paul Adams, to explore the complexity of plastic injection mold tooling and what it takes to go from tooling design to mass production of plastic parts. They explore the full journey, from DFM and tool design through trial runs (T0, T1, T2) to final sign-off and mass production. Along the way, they highlight common pitfalls, golden samples, and why rushing into production can be a costly mistake.You'll love this episode if

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37:40

Traffic Lights for Product Success. How Phase Gates...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/08/22

Adrian is joined once again by Paul Adams, the Sofeast Group’s Head of New Product Development, based at Agilian Technology, our contract manufacturer, to discuss the importance of phase gate (or stage gate) reviews in new product introduction (NPI).When developing and manufacturing a product, rushing forward without checks at key stages can lead to huge risks: design flaws, wrong materials, costly tooling mistakes, or even losing contracts. Paul explains how phase gates work as a “traffic light

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38:33

Tariffs, Trade War, and the Factory Floor: Buyer...

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/08/15

Tariffs, shifting trade policies, and unpredictable order patterns are creating a “stop–go” manufacturing environment in China. For buyers, this means unexpected quality issues, capacity crunches, and supply chain instability.In this episode of China Manufacturing Decoded, Renaud Anjoran and Adrian from the Sofeast team break down the real-world impact of the US–China trade war as of August 2025. Drawing from first-hand observations in Chinese factories, they explain how rapid swings in orders,

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32:21

Pilot Runs: Crucial for Manufacturing Success

China Manufacturing Decoded ·

2025/08/08

Jumping into mass production without a pilot run is like launching a rocket without a test fire, risky, costly, and likely to go wrong.In this episode of China Manufacturing Decoded, Renaud Anjoran and Adrian from the Sofeast team break down what the pilot run process really is, why it's non-negotiable in any serious manufacturing project, and what happens when companies try to cut corners. Suppose you're developing a new product and plan to manufacture it in China or elsewhere in Asia. This

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