FEATURE DISTRIBUTION
MANAGING YOUR PRODUCT’S WEAKEST LINKS
Jesper Rasmussen, director electronic components, Conrad Electronic SE explores the best course of action when managing and sourcing components for a complete design
T
here are literally hundreds of design decisions to be made for even the
simplest design. From a technical perspective there are a host of interrelated challenges such as lowering power consumption, minimising space envelope and making the application feature-rich. Then there are the manufacturing and assembly considerations including factors such as board design and incorporating design aesthetics. Managing the financial aspects of the bill-of-materials (BoM) and ensuring supply chain continuity all require specialist skills too. Overall, the design for manufacture (DFM) process documents the proactive steps engineering teams need to take in order to fully control and optimise all of their design, manufacturing and test operations.
ALL COMPONENTS COUNT No matter how encompassing you make your DFM initiative, the reality is that the most sophisticated and expensive products still rely on using quantities of electronic components. No matter what a component might cost, whether €10 or €0.001, if it is missing, the consequences are the same – production cannot commence. This creates further complications by disrupting manufacturing schedules, delays market entry and impacts operating profits. Also, supply chain interruptions and delays resulting from component shortages and supply allocation can exacerbate the
8 FEBRUARY 2019 | ELECTRONICS
situation. Faced with such potential headaches what should a manufacturer do to ensure the risks caused by such weak links are kept to a minimum, or eliminated completely. Firstly, during the design phase, there needs to be a change in behaviour by the engineering team. A more thorough approach to component selection would be a good place to start. That and, if needed, a formal design review for the completed design prior to it being signed off. Some components are widely available, such as multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), and can be purchased from multiple sources. But other capacitor types, for example, tantalum, along with other precious metal-based capacitors have, and are forecast to continue to have, on-going supply issues. That said, in this example, MLCC
manufacturers need to continually invest in new production facilities in order to meet growing demand. When components that might be subject to risk are identified it is worth considering if substitute products are available and the potential impact changing to an alternative product, might have both from a technical design, BOM and PCB footprint perspective. It is also important to look at different component package sizes and their specific value parameters, such as working voltage, tolerance and operating temperature since more readily available alternatives might be available that would require no board or design changes.
Figure 1:
Distributors in particular have a broad perspective when it comes to managing and sourcing components for a complete design
Another approach that some customers are taking is to purposely over-spec components in order to build-in higher reliability and performance while accepting some additional costs. For example, the use of automotive-qualified AEC-Q200 parts into commercial designs.
MAINTAINING STRONG LINKS An important step engineers and their supply chain colleagues should take is to work closely with their component suppliers so that they can keep manufacturers abreast of any potential supply problems. Distributors in particular have a broad perspective when it comes to managing and sourcing components for a complete design. By understanding a manufacturer’s component requirements and deadlines they are best placed to work with their line-card suppliers in order to plan, secure and schedule deliveries. Distributors are also best placed to be aware of and tackle any component shortages and allocations. While the temptation for the
Figure 2:
Jesper Rasmussen, director electronic components, Conrad Electronic SE
manufacturer who is aware of potential allocation issues is to place orders with multiple suppliers, this only serves to further complicate supply planning to the detriment of all concerned. This approach creates a false impression of component requirements that potentially further leads to more strict allocation regimes.
Conrad Electronic
www.conrad.com e:
sales@conrad.com
/ ELECTRONICS
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