Frequently Asked Questions

Althogut SMA is a leading manufacturing company, the first purchase order takes a long time because China’s system is not sound. China uses metric system and the materials in China are different. New designs need validation, prototyping, manufacturing process and translations which take a long time to do. You should have your own back up stock. 

 SMA does not bear any liabilities for the parts. When the customer receives the parts they should inspect them and report within 15 days. After 15 days it is the liability of the buyer. 

It will usually 5-7 weeks for producing the samples if the sampling parts can be shipped by air. The time for mass production depends on the total amount of the purchase order, the availability of raw material as well as shipment method. However, it will take typically 7-15 weeks for most cases. 

If the term is FOB, US seaport, SMA will cover international freight charges, custom entry charge, custom duty, seaport warehouse and/or pallet charge, DAD, IT H/C, DOC, message/postage charge, and CFS fee. The US domestic freight must be paid by customer. In order to avoid the demurrage fee, customers should arrange their own trucking company to pick up the freight as quick as possible once received the delivery order from SMA Connecticut office or SMA logistics agent in New York. However, the Port exam fee and US port security check charge should be paid by the customer too. 

All the purchase orders will be executed in China and ocean shipped from China, typically Shanghai and Shenzhen/Hong Kong seaport. 

Please be advised that all the parts or products will be produced in China. That is absolutely different from order something next door or local supplier. SMA is leading company for customized products that are manufactured in China. Thus, after SMA Connecticut office or other sales office received the purchase order, there are 150 steps that need to process the purchase order. Over 100 SMA employees will directly or indirectly deal or handle it, that will include, our marketing department, information center, financial department, production management in US, our Shanghai office, engineering group, raw material purchase and search division, tooling and setup group, plant manager office, plant quality check team, packaging division, warehouse handler (both US and China), Chinese export and import specialist, international shipping agent (both New York and China). 

In most cases, SMA/Shuimin AG will provide the samples for customer’s quality inspection and function test. SMA always encourages our customer to do all the quality inspection and function test needed. It can be done by customer’s own facility or a certified laboratory, then fax the copy to SMA Connecticut office. After received the mass production, customer should precede the quality inspection and report SMA or acknowledge SMA in Connecticut office within 30 days. 

If your company has the efficiency and innovation problems, setup your own Subsidiary or contract with a manufacturing specialist? The subsidiary may cost head office more than hiring a large outside outsource that spread overhead among numerous customers. 

Yes, SA8000 is an auditable certification standard based on international workplace norms of International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Standard is available for download in various languages by clicking here.
A summary of the Standard elements follows:
1. Child Labor: No workers under the age of 15; minimum lowered to 14 for countries operating under the ILO Convention 138 developing-country exception; remediation of any child found to be working
2. Forced Labor: No forced labor, including prison or debt bondage labor; no lodging of deposits or identity papers by employers or outside recruiters
3. Health and Safety: Provide a safe and healthy work environment; take steps to prevent injuries; regular health and safety worker training; system to detect threats to health and safety; access to bathrooms and potable water
4. Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining: Respect the right to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; where law prohibits these freedoms, facilitate parallel means of association and bargaining
5. Discrimination: No discrimination based on race, caste, origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union or political affiliation, or age; no sexual harassment
6. Discipline: No corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse
7. Working Hours: Comply with the applicable law but, in any event, no more than 48 hours per week with at least one day off for every seven day period; voluntary overtime paid at a premium rate and not to exceed 12 hours per week on a regular basis; overtime may be mandatory if part of a collective bargaining agreement
8. Compensation: Wages paid for a standard work week must meet the legal and industry standards and be sufficient to meet the basic need of workers and their families; no disciplinary deductions
9. Management Systems: Facilities seeking to gain and maintain certification must go beyond simple compliance to integrate the standard into their management systems and practices. 

From simple enclosure designs to complex electro-mechanical systems, our mechanical engineers use industry standard tools (SolidWorks®, Pro/ENGINEER®, AutoCAD®, FLOTHERM®, etc.) to create product designs.
This development work includes:
• Concept development
• Enclosure design and analysis
• EMC/EMI design
• Thermal design challenges/thermal modeling
• Solid/surface modeling
• Prototype development
• Mechanism development
• Sheet metal
• Injection-molded plastics
• Machine-cast parts
From concept to manufacturing and everything in between, SMA Product Development has the tools, resources, and expertise to develop turnkey products or to expertly fill in the gaps where you need additional support. SMA Product Development’s expert developers will implement your solution in the way that best meets your project priorities. We have the experience to meet full turnkey product development or any phase in between. SMA/SHUIMIN AG uses a requirements-driven approach to product development. Our senior systems, quality, and regulatory experts determine and tag product requirements up front. This allows us to fully trace all requirements into testing, resulting in a quality product, predictable development costs, and “no-surprises” design delivery. Your medical, transportation, and other mission-critical applications are always safe with SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development and Manufacturing. SMA/SHUIMIN AG can identify, design to meet, and test requirements of all major mechanical and electrical performance and safety standards. For instance, we’ll consult with our customer or their agency (UL, CSA) representatives early in the product development process to guarantee expedient approval. 

 SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development provides a broad range of electronics development services. Using tools like Protel™, OrCAD®, PADS® and others, we produce innovative, priority-focused analog, digital, RF, and complex power supply designs. Manufacturability, serviceability, development cost, power consumption, size, final cost-of-goods (COGs), and others are all prioritized, driving factors in our designs. SMA/SHUIMIN AG recognizes that every product is different—we have the capabilities to handle any challenge.
1. Analog devices and products SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development employs electronics design specialists in signal acquisition and instrumentation to design all types of filters/analog signal processing, instrumentation and isolation, motor and solenoid control, and feedback control systems. Some examples of analog instrumentation solutions include:
Precision physiological light measurement systems requiring 140dB of dynamic range
Direct-to-digital diagnostic ECG amplifier allowing significant product size reduction Microvolt signal measurement through unshielded cabling in industrial conditions High-pot instrumentation for production insulation testing to > 1000 KMeg ohms Feedback control system for stabilizing RMS cathode current in x-ray tube during exposure

Low-cost capacitive proximity and motion sensors for medical application Low-cost medical pressure measurement system replacing expensive multi-transducer system
Micropower, mixed-signal, data collection system operating for months on a lithium coin-cell battery
12. Digital devices and products SMA/SHUIMIN AG designs digital systems ranging from single-chip, low-cost, 8-bit solutions to complex, multi-processor, 32-bit products. This experience, combined with analog instrumentation, DSP, RF and software expertise, allows us to consolidate traditionally non-digital functions within our digital designs. This experience and expertise, combined with a consistently innovative approach, allows us to minimize component and assembly costs, product size, and power consumption, as well as provide unparalleled design flexibility. Today’s products rarely operate in isolation. SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development can design system components based on AT, PC/104, PC/104-Plus, PCI, VXI, etc., busses and interdevice communication through USB, IrDA, Ethernet, RFID, RS-485, RS-232, and proprietary parallel and serial interfaces. Recent projects have used ARM, AVR, MSP430, PIC, 8051, HC11, Dragonball™, and X86 (Geode™, Élan™) processors. High-speed, time-critical functionality has been implemented using Xilinx® CPLD devices and VHDL (developed, of course, under the same quality-centric processes used in our traditional embedded software/firmware development).
3. RF devices and products RF (radio frequency) design capabilities include communication transceivers, spread-spectrum and frequency-hopping systems, high-power transmitters, indirect and direct synthesizers, and antennas. Project applications include RF system design and planning, specifications, link analyses, and high-performance data and telemetry links. We can design custom solutions for high-volume or proprietary requirements, or use off-the-shelf solutions to minimize design and agency approval costs.

 “Elusive” is the word many use when asked about predictability in software development. The pitfalls in process, tool reliability, design-for-reuse, and conflicting or continuously changing requirements are a daunting challenge. At SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development, we’ve constructed a custom software design and development process and assembled the software expertise needed to guarantee quality software deliverables. From embedded software/firmware and VHDL to PC-based, client/server, and Web-based software applications, we continually deliver “Innovation with Certainty!”
1. Embedded software/firmware applications design Our embedded software engineers are experienced in all aspects of embedded software/firmware development—from the simple (micro-power 8-bit designs using Assembly and ANSI C) to the complex (30+ MIPS, ARM, DSP, X86-based multiprocessor systems using off-the-shelf or custom RTOS). Our embedded software designs focus on quality, safety, and maintainability, while our architectures leverage reuse wherever possible. SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development’s embedded software design teams deliver software solutions that focus on the particular needs of your project. The question we’re so often asked is “how do you predictably design such complex solutions when most projects are late and over-budget?” The answer lies in our process—it’s simple and effective. It starts with detailed planning for the specific requirements of your product and ends with a cleanly assembled and audited design history file delivered on time and within budget.
2. PC-based software applications design At SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development, we place an intense focus on the specific needs of your product to deliver a flexible, high performance solution that will easily grow with it. Using Visual Basic®, Visual C++®, Java™ or the new .Net™ platform, we expertly tailor your software application to fit your unique product, avoiding the inefficiency of the “one-size-fits-all” solutions common in today’s market. How do we do it? SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development uses Customer-specific design and the most current technologies, while paying extra attention to usability, accessibility, cognitive learning, and the broad needs of global users to create the ultimate solution for your product.
3. Web-based software applications design Providing the same attention to detail as with your PC-based software applications, SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development’s staff of software developers and Web designers specialize in developing dynamic, Web-based applications. SMA/SHUIMIN AG uses the right technology, including ASP, COM, Visual Basic®, XML and PHP, to ensure your product has a unique, innovative, quality Web-based software application. 

Yes, they are Your Design Team Augmentation! SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development can help you when your Company experiences layoffs, plant closures, or simply doesn’t have the resources, expertise, or experience necessary to successfully complete a project. We can provide you with the skills, experience, and best-practices you need, including:
• Product/project planning, analysis, and feasibility determination
• Product proof-of-concepts, concept development, and prototyping
• High-risk design review and assessment
• Turnkey product development, including electrical/electronic, software, mechanical, and/or industrial system or sub-system design, implementation, and integration
• Product testing and certification test support
• Product sustaining updates, including enhancements, replacing obsolete components, issue fixes, and enhancing profitability through cost-of-goods (COGs) reductions. 

If your goal is to optimize the potential or reduce the overall manufacturing and/or purchasing cost of an existing product, SMA/SHUIMIN AG’s Value Engineering Program is the tool for the job. Starting with a thorough analysis of the function, design, manufacturability and current status of your product, we determine the best approach to improve performance, reliability, quality and safety, and reduce life-cycle cost. Benefits typically include overall cost reduction, elimination of component obsolescence, increased customer satisfaction, and expanded sales opportunities.
The focus of the Value Engineering Program is:
• Eliminate obsolete components.
• Utilize money-saving technologies, components, and methods to reduce cost of producing the product.
• Repair product, warranty, or technical support issues.
• Add needed features.
• Increase procurement efficiency.
• Update user interface.
• Improve overall functionality.
The bottom line: increase existing product revenues and profits. 

There are four steps to the SMA/SHUIMIN AG Value Engineering Program.
1. First, select your candidate product, execute a Non-Disclosure Agreement, and send specific information to SMA/SHUIMIN AG concerning the selected product’s design, manufacturing and business status. This information will include per-unit production cost, customer feedback, and other relevant product data.
2. Second, SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development analyzes your product and determines potential solutions and associated product savings to be realized over a predetermined period.
3. Third, SMA/SHUIMIN AG develops a comprehensive value engineering change proposal addressing features, benefits, cost and alternatives.
4. Fourth, your firm reviews the analysis and determines whether or not to proceed with the project.
To learn more about SMA value engineering and how it can help you, please call 877 233 2247 or contact us via email today! 

In our design validation services, SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development validates product designs and concepts by querying statistically significant numbers of potential and existing Customers using photo-realistic product representations. The “virtual products” are viewed on interactive Web sites. In simple terms, products are submitted to viewers for evaluation prior to making manufacturing decisions. Viewer’s responses provide meaningful data and insight into the likelihood of product acceptance and purchase intent. Queried participants are selected from large E-mail or other databases sorted by specific demographic criteria. 

The methodology of our design validation services is simple but highly effective: From a screened database of E-mail addresses, SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development can access potential purchasers of your product. This database can be focused on demographic guidelines. Several product design concepts developed by SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development or Client companies are then forwarded on the Internet to the selected recipients, along with a short questionnaire. Data in areas such as perceived value, rank order, style and color preference, acceptable purchase price, competitive product features, and even package design preference, is collected and formatted for presentation. Competitive products can also be compared in this survey. These findings alone statistically reinforce consumer buying preference in relation to competing products. A project manager at SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development will work closely with you to determine the most important factors and develop a series of questions and images that will cast the greatest illumination on them. The questions and images can be changed as needed. The results will be presented both in the form of raw data on charts and tables, and in a Survey Results report that pulls all information together and identifies key results. Through design validation, SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development can provide you:
• Complex survey design (conjoint, discrete choice, etc.)
• Real-time topline and crosstab results
• Instant report-ready graphs
• Managerial site for testing, tracking, and results tabulation
• Management of respondent incentives
• Robust systems with redundancy, security, and backups 

SMA/SHUIMIN AG Product Development typically creates multiple prototypes, depending on the needs of the Client and the project. Some of our common prototypes include: Proof-of-Concept Prototype This prototype is designed to analyze the technical and business risks of the desired solution and to prove, with a predefined, working prototype, that the challenges can be overcome and the risks managed. This prototype allows a relatively small investment to prove that a larger investment is warranted. Form/Concept Prototype The form/concept prototype is designed to let you view and “feel” how the product will look and function once it’s completed. The completeness of this prototype is tailored to meet the needs of the Client, but usually facilitates feedback about the shape, color, design, and overall look and feel of the product. Form, Fit, and Function Prototype Once the design is finalized, a fully functional, working prototype is created and tested for manufacturability, electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC), and full functionality. This prototype allows for certification pre-screens, dry-run verification, and any necessary user or clinical testing. This prototype is very much like the final product and is used to determine where to “sand off the rough edges.” Pre-production Prototype The pre-production prototype is a final, working prototype produced in the target manufacturing environment. This prototype allows the manufacturer to iron out any kinks in their process and is the first step in the manufacturing handoff. Manufacturing Run (Process Validation) Prototype The manufacturer’s first formal run of the product is loosely termed a “prototype.” This run is used to make certain the manufacturing process runs smoothly and correctly and allows the development and manufacturing teams to ensure both the quality of the product and that any issues are quickly caught and remedied. The “prototypes” produced during a successful manufacturing process validation run are the first units available for sale to your Customers. 

SMA/SHUIMIN AG will work with you to determine your needs, characterize your needs, and determine how to best proceed with your development project. This might include an initial product/project analysis, initial research, proof-of-concept prototypes, or other steps to determine how to best proceed with your development effort and the resources necessary to do so. When other companies say a project is impossible, let SMA/SHUIMIN AG employees investigate. We succeed where others don’t dare go! 

Yes, SMA does. After the product is on the market, SMA will work closely with our customer to do product’s re-engineering work, to reduce Cost-of-goods (COGs), to remove the obsolescent components, or to enhance some functions. 

1. Acceptance. SELLER’S ACCEPTANCE OF BUYER’S PURCHASE ORDER IS EXPRESSLY MADE CONDITIONAL ON BUYER’S ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE, WHICH ARE IN LIEU OF ANY ADDITIONAL OR DIFFERENT TERMS CONTAINED IN BUYER’S PURCHASE ORDER OR OTHER DOCUMENT OR COMMUNICATION PERTAINING TO BUYER’S ORDER OR THE GOODS. BUYER’S ASSENT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CONTAINED IN THIS CONTRACT (THIS “CONTRACT”) CONSISTING OF THE PAGE(S) THAT PRECEDE THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, TOGETHER WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, SHALL BE CONCLUSIVELY PRESUMED FROM BUYER’S ACCEPTANCE OF ALL OR ANY PART OF THE GOODS OR FROM PAYMENT BY BUYER FOR ALL OR ANY PART OF THE GOODS. THIS CONTRACT MAY NOT BE ADDED TO, MODIFIED, SUPERCEDED OR OTHERWISE ALTERED, EXCEPT BY A WRITTEN INSTRUMENT SIGNED BY AN EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SELLER. FAILURE OF SELLER TO OBJECT TO ANY TERMS OR CONDITIONS WHICH MAY BE CONTAINED IN ANY DOCUMENT OR FORM OF BUYER SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A WAIVER OF THE RIGHTS OR OBLIGATIONS UNDER THIS CONTRACT, NOR AS AN ACCEPTANCE OF ANY SUCH TERMS AND CONDITIONS. 

2. Payment Terms. Payment terms are net thirty (30) days from the date of this Contract. Any payments not made within thirty (30) days of the date of this Contract shall be subject to a late payment charge of 1½% per month (compounded) on the unpaid balance of any amount then past due. 

3. Taxes. The quoted purchase price may be increased to the extent that Seller’s cost of the product sold hereunder may be increased as a result of (1) any agreements, codes, tariffs, surcharges, or legislative enactments made or enacted pursuant to federal, state, or municipal legislation, whether domestic or foreign; and (2) increase in the cost of labor or raw materials. In addition to paying the quoted purchase price, Buyer is solely liable for any excises, levies or taxes which Seller may be required to pay or collect, under any existing or future law, upon or with respect to the sale, purchase, delivery, storage, processing, use, consumption or transportation of any of the goods covered hereby, and Buyer agrees to pay the amount thereof on the same terms as it shall pay the quoted purchase price. 

4. Warranty. Seller warrants that the goods supplied under this Contract (the “Goods”) shall conform to the description stated on the front side hereof. THE FOREGOING WARRANTY IS SELLER'S SOLE WARRANTY WITH RESPECT TO THESE GOODS. ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED. SELLER'S LIABILITY FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY HEREUNDER IS LIMITED SOLELY TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE GOODS, WHICH SHALL BE RETURNED TO SELLER'S PLACE OF BUSINESS, TRANSPORTATION CHARGES PREPAID BY BUYER; AND THE FAILURE TO GIVE NOTICE OF A WARRANTY CLAIM WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS FROM DATE OF DELIVERY SHALL CONSTITUTE A WAIVER BY BORROWER OF ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT TO SUCH GOODS. THE FOREGOING SHALL CONSTITUTE THE SOLE REMEDY OF BUYER AND THE SOLE LIABILITY OF SELLER UNDER THIS WARRANTY.

5. Limitation of Liability. SELLER'S LIABILITY TO BUYER, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, IN TORT, UNDER ANY WARRANTY, IN NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE, SHALL NOT EXCEED IN ANY CASE THE RETURN OF THE AMOUNT OF THE PURCHASE PRICE PAID BY BUYER AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL SELLER BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. THE PRICE STATED FOR THE GOODS IS CONSIDERATION FOR LIMITING SELLER'S LIABILITY. NO ACTION, REGARDLESS OF FORM, ARISING OUT OF THE TRANSACTIONS UNDER THIS CONTRACT MAY BE BROUGHT BY BUYER MORE THAN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE DATE OF THIS CONTRACT. WITHOUT LIMITATION OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WILL SELLER BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR (A) PENALTIES OR PENALTY CLAUSES OF ANY DESCRIPTION, OR (B) INDEMNIFICATION OF BUYER OR OTHERS FOR COSTS, DAMAGES OR EXPENSES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE GOODS. 

6. Claims. Claims by Buyer for shortages or errors in delivery must be made within five (5) days after the delivery of the Goods. Goods are sold subject to the standard manufacturing practices of Seller's suppliers. Goods purchased on the basis of weight are subject to customary quantity variations recognized by practice in the industry. 

7. Returns. No Goods shall be returned for credit without first obtaining written consent from an executive officer of Seller.

8. Shipment. Delivery terms are either F.O.B. Seller's place of business, Milford, Connecticut, or as specified on one of the pages preceding these terms and conditions. In either case, Buyer shall assume all risk of loss or damage upon delivery by Seller to the carrier at the point of shipment. Scheduled dates of delivery are determined from the date of Seller’s acceptance of any order or orders placed by Buyer and are estimates of approximate dates of delivery, and not a guaranty of a particular date of delivery. Seller shall not be liable for any damages caused by failure or delay in shipping the goods described herein, if such failure or delay is due to any war, pandemic, embargo, riot, fire, flood, accident, mill condition, strike or other labor difficulty, an act of Buyer, an act of God, an act of a governmental authority, transportation shortage or failure, inability to obtain sufficient fuel, labor, materials or manufacturing facilities, or any other cause beyond the reasonable control of Seller. 

9. Security Interest. Shipments, deliveries and performance of work by Seller shall at all times be subject to the approval of and requirements of the credit department of Seller, including the requirement that Buyer pay part or all of the purchase price in advance. Seller retains a purchase money security interest in all Goods not paid for in full, notwithstanding that the goods have been delivered to Buyer, and Buyer hereby authorizes Seller to execute and file financing statements describing the Goods, and other documents which may be requested by Seller to evidence its security interest.

10. Cancellation. Orders accepted by Seller are subject to cancellation by Buyer only upon the express written consent of Seller. Upon such cancellation and consent, Seller shall cease work and hold for Buyer all completed and partially completed articles and work in progress and Buyer shall pay Seller: for all work and materials that have been committed to and/or identified to Buyer’s order plus a cancellation charge as prescribed by Seller, in addition to a reasonable profit to Seller on this entire Contract. 

11. Indemnification. In addition to the foregoing, Buyer agrees to save and hold Seller harmless from any claims, demands, liabilities, costs, expenses or judgments arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, out of the negligence or lack of care by Buyer or Buyer’s customers, agents, employees or invitees involving the use of the goods supplied by Seller. This indemnification shall include all attorney’s fees and other expenses and costs paid or incurred by or imposed upon Seller in connection with the defense of any such claim. 

12. Governing Law. Any agreement arising out of this Contract shall be deemed to have been made in Milford, New Haven County, Connecticut. The parties agree that the validity, interpretation and performance of any agreement arising out of this Contract shall be governed by the laws of the State of Connecticut, without regard to conflicts of interest laws. Buyer and Seller hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction for the resolution of any disputes hereunder, to the Connecticut Superior Court in the Ansonia-Milford Judicial District. This shall be the sole and exclusive jurisdiction and venue for the purpose of adjudication of any rights and liabilities hereunder. 

13. Default. In the case of default or breach by Buyer in the performance of any or all of the provisions of this Contract, Seller may cancel any outstanding order from Buyer and declare all obligations immediately due and payable, and shall in addition have all remedies afforded by the Uniform Commercial Code as enacted in Connecticut, and any other applicable law. Buyer shall in addition, be liable for Seller’s expenses incurred in exercising any remedies available to it, including reasonable attorney’s fees and legal expenses and costs. All unpaid obligations shall bear interest at the contract rate provided under the Payment Terms above.

14. Delay. If Buyer requests deferral of deliveries, Seller’s agreement to defer delivery shall not excuse Buyer from its obligation to pay for the goods at the same times and in the same quantities as the original delivery schedule, including interest due pursuant to these terms and conditions. In addition to adhering to the original payment schedule, Buyer shall pay such storage charges as Seller may assess for storing the goods awaiting delivery. If Buyer requests deferral prior to commencement of production, Seller may require progress payments in connection with expenses for materials and services incurred by Seller in anticipation of production.

15. Severability. If any term or provision of this Contract is invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other term or provision of this Contract or invalidate or render unenforceable such term or provision in any other jurisdiction.

16. Notices.All notices, requests, demands and other communications required or allowed to be given under this Contract shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given and made five (5) days after being deposited in the United States Mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the other party at the address listed on the first page preceding these terms and conditions.

17. Amendment and Modification. No change to this Contract is binding upon Seller unless it is in writing, specifically states that it amends this Contract and is signed by an executive officer of Seller.

18. Assignment. Buyer shall not assign, transfer, delegate or subcontract any of its rights or obligations under this Contract without the prior written consent of an executive officer of Seller. Any purported assignment or delegation in violation of this Section shall be null and void. No assignment or delegation shall relieve the Buyer of any of its obligations hereunder. Seller may at any time assign, transfer or subcontract any or all of its rights or obligations under this Contract without Buyer's prior written consent.