I focused on key points and did not cover every detail. Of course, feel free to ask and I'll elaborate on other things of interest.
Avigilon USA Factory Visit Report
In a building that looks more like corporate offices than a 'factory' and just down the road from suburban housing developments is Avigilon's USA manufacturing plant.
Given the heightened interest in non-China manufacturing, IPVM visited the plant to see what Avigilon does there and its most recent developments including:
- What they manufacture there
- How they manufacturer in the USA
- How it compares to their Canadian manufacturing
- Why they choose to manufacture in the USA
- What benefits they see compared to manufacturing in China or Vietnam
- What disadvantages they have from such manufacturing
- What products they do not manufacturer themselves
- How the Motorola acquisition and ownership is impacting them
Just like IPVM's Hanwha Vietnam factory visit, and unlike trade magazine visits, IPVM covered all of our own expenses.
Overview **** ****** *** ********
******** ******* ~**,*** **** ******** ***** ** 2001, *** ******** ** ****-********** ***, while ** *** ********* ** *** Dallas ************ ****, ** ***** ** to ***** **** ******* ********** **** as *****. *** ***** ***** ***** an ******** ** *** ******* ** the ********:
*** *** ***** ***** ***** *** surrounding ****, ********* * ******** ***** built ****** *** ******:
** **** *** *** ********** **** in *** ******* ***. ***** *** facility ** ************** *************, ** *** a ******** **** **** *** *****.
** ******* *** ****** *************, **** have * ******* ** ******* *******:
*** **** **** ** *** ******** that ******** ******* ** **** *********** of *** *** ***** ******:
**** ************ *** ****** ** ************* facilities.
SMT ********
*** **** ******* ******* ** '****' manufacturing ***** ** ******** *** ***** use ** *********** (******* ***** **********) ******** ** *********** *** ********** boards **** ** ********'* ********. *** image *****, ***** *** **** ********, gives * ***** ***** ** ********'* layout:
*** *** ***** *****, ********* *** ********* *****, ***** **** ** *** ******* line ******* ******* ********** ** ******** boards:
*** *********** **** ** ** **** USA '*************', **** ** **** ********** already **** ******* **********. ********'* *** of *** ******** *** ***** ***** level ************* *** ***** ***, ** contrast, ** **** *******.
********
******** *** ******* **** ***** **** take *** ******* ************ ****** (***** above) *** **** ********* **** **** housing, ******, ***. ** **** ***** from ***** ********* ***** *****:
**** **** ** * ******* ** burn-in *** ***** ***** ** ******* as **** ** ****** **** ** the ********.
******** ***** *** ********, ********* *** FedEx, ** ***** ** *** ***** at *** ********* ** **** ****, to *********.
Canada ** ** *************
*** ** ************* **** ** ********'* original ************* ** ******. ***** *** plants *** ******* ******* ******, *** Canada ******** ** ***** *********** *** first ************* ** ****, ** **** plant ** ****** ** ********'* ********** and ********** *********** *****.
**% ** **** ** ** ******** shipments **** **** *** ** ******** and ********* *** ******* *** ******** be *** **** ** **** ******** requirements.
*** ******** *********, ******** *** * Netherlands *********** ******** *** *** ******** based *************.
Why ***?
******** ********** ****, ***** *** *** is *** *******'* ******* ******, ****** manufacturing ********** ** **** ****** ******** advantages ** ********* **** ******, ********* minimizing ********* *** ****-****** ***** **** overseas.
*** ******* **** ****** *** ***** having * **** ** **** ************* in *** **** **** ******* **** to **** ****** ** ********* **** decades ** ***** ** *************.
************, **** **** ********* ******** *****, relatively ***** ******* ** ********* ** well ** ********* ** ***** ***** and *** ********* ******* ** ******** Dallas.
***** ******** ***** *** *****'* ** location ****** ******** **** ***** ***********, its ***** *** *** *********.
Not ******** **** ** ******* *** *****
** ******** ** ****** ***** ******** of ****** ************* **-*****, ******** ********** the **** (* ***** ** **** for ******** ** ****) ***/** **** (shipping ** ********) ** ******* ******* for *** ************* ********.
*** **** ***** ***** *** ********** compared ** *** ******* ** ************* overseas *** *** ***** ** **.
Disadvantage ** *** *************
*** ************ ******** ************ *** ******** manufacturing *** *** **** ****** ********** of ***-**** ********. **** ** *** segment **** ******** *** ****** ******* with ****** *** ** *** ******* being **** ******* **** ** ********* lens, ****** ********, *****-*******, ***.
** ** **** ** *** ********'* American ************* ***** ***** ** ********** in *** *** $*** ****** ************ space, ***** ** **** *** **** try.
Vivotek ******** *************
**************, ******** ************* *** *** ********. The *** ******* ********* *********'* ** ***, ******** ************ ** ********* *******, though **** ********'* *** ********.
******** **** **** *** * ***-*** and *** **** ** *** ***** to ******, ****** **** **** *** a ***** *******, ***** *********** ********* could ** ****** **** ** ***** products.
No ****** *********
******** ********** **** **** ** *** use ********* **********, ************ *********, ****** ***** ******** ** ****** chain ********. **** **** **** ** a **** ***** ***** ** ************* who **** ********** ******* ******, ****** most ***** ****** ************, **** ** Axis, *****, ******, **** ** *** Huawei ********* **** *** ***-*** ******** (though ***** *** **** *** *** other ******** ********, ***** ********* *****).
Motorola *******
**** ******** ********** ** ***** ** were ************ ***** *** ******** ***********, emphasizing ******** ************ *** ** ******** ones. *******, ** ** **** ** take **** ***** ** ***** ******** since **** ** ****** *** ********** to ***, ********** ** *******.
*** **** ********** ******* *** **** bringing **********'* *** ****** ********* ** *** of *** ** *** ****** *******, Motorola *********(*********** **** ****** *** ** ******** in ******** ** ***** *** ** Motorola *********). **** ** * ***** signal **** ** *** ******* **** Motorola *** *** ******** *** *** potential ********* **** ******** **** **** in ******** *******.
***, ** **********, ** ** **** for *************, ******** ********** **** **** can ***** *********** ****** ***** ************* output ** *** *** *****. ***** the ********** ******** ********, ****** ***** expanding ********'* *** *************.
How many dirty looks did you get from Avigilon employee's? Did you get a sense of how many know the history of your criticism of the company?
Lol, keep in mind almost all of the executives from that era were purged have left, so I do not think there is a lot of attachment to those days.
Did you get a sense of how many know the history of your criticism of the company?
Avigilon's new Global VP of Marketing used to be Hikvision USA's Head of Marketing so it is a fair bet he knows of IPVM criticism...
No dirty looks though.
Positive note: Avigilon is the only largescale camera company, that I'm aware of anymore, actually building in the U.S. and it is something they should have pride in.
Negative note: y'all came to town and didn't say hi 🤣
Avigilon is the only largescale camera company, that I'm aware of anymore, actually building in the U.S. and it is something they should have pride in.
I've often wondered why that is. How is Avigilon (and Pelco before them) capable of rolling in the US where everyone else has to go to the cheapest labor market possible. Avigilon cameras are more expensive than Hikua for sure but they are well below the price range as the Axis Q series or Panasonic (not Advidia) products.
somebody needs to go in there and explain to them that they can replace 4 HD cams with 1 4K cam ;)
Maybe the reason for having 4 cameras in the same direction is that they show same FOV but with different resolution so you can see the pixel and picture quality difference - i do believe that the makers of 30MP cameras know what they are doing :-)
they can replace 4 HD cams with 1 4K cam
Classic!
For those that do not get the reference, in the good / bad old days, Avigilon used to market:
one 29 MP camera can replace up to 95 conventional cameras
new 8 MP surveillance camera that offers high-resolution and wide dynamic range, and can replace as many as 26 conventional cameras
Thankfully, manufacturers have stopped such erroneous claims as more people in the industry have understood there is more to imaging than simple pixel count increases (WDR, low-light, angles, etc.).
Out of curiosity, are all the components and chips of Avigilon cameras made in America? Or are they shipped in from Mexico or elsewhere?
I would suspect every IP camera manufacturer has components made in multiple counties. Are there any specific components of interest?
SoCs are generally Ambarella for Avigilon, though Gen 5 is planned for Intel.