cra2:
Is there a simple, safe, DIR wing out there for $50 from one company, and another's charging $500?
Not that I'm aware of. Here's what I know. Conventional Back Plates are not rocket science to build. You need either a laser, or Abrasive Water Jet to cut them and a good sized press brake to bend them. These are pretty common, and most shops that have one have the other, so it's one stop shopping. The fixed or non reoccurring expenses for conventional BPs is not high, no "dies" etc. This means only modest numbers need be ordered at any time.
All this helps to explain the wide number of BP's currently available and the competitve pricing. We build our own, because we can, and it allow us to include features not economically feasible for others, but in general the "barrier to entry" for simple BP's is low.
Wings are another matter. There are only a few manufacturers in the US. Building wings requires RF welding, sewing and either injection molding or the ability to purchase the necessary fittings, hoses, overpressure valves etc. in fairly large numbers. Rf welding requires dies. This means that the fixed or nonreoccuring costs for wings is pretty high and that the minimum order size can be considerable. The fact is most "wings" on the market today are private labeled goods all made by a handful of producers.
Keep in mind that "wings" are made in very small numbers compared to jacket BC's. The Big Jacket sellers can go off shore to lower costs, but the raw numbers for wings make this tough.
That IMHO is why wings are not as competitive as BPs.
Regards,
Tobin George
