DISTRIBUTION


Passive components: Choosing the right distribution partner


John Dodds, sales director at BEC Distribution, says many recent articles have addressed the issues of discontinued passives and fast- approaching EoL (End-of-Life) deadlines. Plus, of course, the issues of long lead times from the major manufacturers for currently-available passives


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t’s entirely understandable that the brand leaders need to fill their manufacturing lines with volume products as the less popular components are not profit-making propositions. But OEMs who rely solely on well-known brands could be adopting a risky strategy.


Typically, large component manufacturers discontinue product lines after 5-10 years. This can have a potentially disastrous impact on OEM products that have longer expected lifetime, for example, aerospace, medical, surveillance or defence industry equipment. It is of course very easy to do a quick online search to find alternative components from the smaller, less well-known manufacturers. But will the quality be comparable? and will the lead times be any better? And instead of buying a range of products from one brand leader, customers may end up dealing with multiple smaller companies. This is not a good strategy - the question is how to move forward with solutions to these challenges.


Planning for the future With support from a reliable distribution partner, engineers and buyers alike can plan ahead right from the product design stage, beginning when components are first used or when they are designed-in, ensuring that EoL does not necessarily mean end of supply or support.


Anticipate future supply issues before they become a crisis


A good distribution partner will offer a ‘scrub’ service of all the current passive components in the customer’s products. This will flag up EoLs and the partner will recommend alternatives for buyers to update their ERP systems.


When customers have ‘nearly’ consumed their scheduled ordered parts or have bids on their active bills of materials, proactive discussions are needed to discuss what actions can be taken, including substitute parts, redesigning a board or suggesting long- term stocking solutions.


Sourcing alternative components without 36 MAY 2023 | ELECTRONICS TODAY


a proper assessment and technical due diligence could involve potential risks to performance or quality of final products. Engineers and buyers need to carefully consider from whom to source alternative components.


Choosing a good distribution partner


One of the most important things to look for in a distribution partner is their technical sourcing ability and proven experience in the market, together with guarantees that the alternatives fully match original specifications. BEC Distribution not only meets all of the above criteria, but they can help “design-out” substandard components and replace them with newer, improved alternatives. As a result, buyers and designers will find a distribution partner like BEC can offer a wider choice and offer expertise to help with the challenges. In addition to technical support, BEC can also provide samples, often FOC. The availability of BEC’s passive replacements will far exceed 10 years. Strict quality checks are made and direct pin-for- pin compatibility is ensured. To combat the long lead times for current products, BEC


Distribution offers direct alternatives to the brand leaders, with short lead times of 6-8 weeks, where most major manufacturers are currently working on 16-30 weeks.


Cost-saving advantages with the BEC Select range of passives


Sourcing alternative components can result in substantial cost savings. But this of course must not impact quality or compatibility. With this in mind, the BEC Select range of quality Alternative Passives offers affordable, high-quality alternatives to the major manufacturers. Very high reliability has been the goal, combined with cost- effectiveness.


A cost-saving example: BEC Select Terminal Blocks


For example, terminal blocks from the BEC Select range are available on short lead times, with many ex-stock, offering a fast- turnaround. Not only that, they combine high quality with significant cost savings. A win-win proposition.


BEC Distribution www.bec.co.uk


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