[rwhite692]

One of the main reasons that world class manufacturers, including the Japanese, use plant equipment from one source is because they practice a methodology called Copy Exactly Tracking. This means that, regardless of where in the world a manufacturing center containing equipment is located, That equipment is configured, process documented, operated and maintained in EXACTLY the same way. Having two (or more) methodologies for the same process, spread across multiple manufacturing locations would never produce the exact same quality result, and automatically and dramatically adds cost; one methodology would always be better than the other one(s), in some way. World class manufacturers know that this is the only way they can achieve high consistency / quality across multiple manufacturing operations.

If it's any consolation, when you go to a McDonalds in Yokohama, Taipei, or Kuala Lumpur, the french fry and shake machines are the same exact (US Built) ones used in Ohio....get it? -Rob