I don't operate on a large scale, but I get a number of boards manufactured overseas. I can tell you up front, that the costs for small quantities is much greater than for large quantities. For a major train manufacturer making boards for their product, they would doubtless get boards at a fraction of what I pay. Think of all the Chinese electronics you buy for peanuts, all those boards had to be manufactured. The difference is they were made in the thousands or tens of thousands. When I commission a hundred boards. The part, setup, and assembly run are substantially more expensive.
I suspect this is what any follow-on DCS company will face, without a major product line that is using a large quantity of the boards, the prices will be significantly higher. That will lead to significantly lower volumes which will lead to higher prices. See where this is going?
