Feature: Components
Looking for components for your products?
There is an answer…. By Del Williams, technical writer based in the US
S
upply chain shortages have become a global issue in recent years, adding a stubborn wrinkle to the fabric that keeps the economy humming. One shortage
that has plagued the automotive industry since 2018 has been that of electronic components. Vehicles are laden with chips to control many of their functionalities, from heated seating to Wi-Fi hotspots, so without them manufacturing cannot continue at the level consumers require. Supply chain disruptions are nothing
new; they are something electronic parts distributors have come to expect. With low-cost components in chronic shortage and extended lead times for delivery, manufacturers are considering independent distributors to get parts on time at the lowest possible cost without assuming additional risk. For many companies, sourcing parts
from the independent channel requires a significant shiſt in mindset.
“Some companies make the decision to
place orders with independent distributors the very first day they are in operation, because they understand our market and how we operate in it,” explains Mike Tomas, Vice President and General Manager at Classic Components, an independent stocking distributor of electronic components based in Torrance, California. “But there is an equal number of companies that are hesitant because the chipmakers and franchise distributors have invested millions over the years to de- incentivise their customers from going to the open channel – and I understand that.” Classic Components has been in business
for over 40 years, and remains one of the few independent distributors that is family-owned. Te company’s maturity and resources allow it to deliver high-quality products with shorter lead times than many of its competitors. Te company can usually deliver parts in 2-3 weeks that the OEM or authorised distributors may not have access to for a year or longer.
44 November 2023
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
Keeping automotive running At the beginning of the pandemic, automotive suppliers estimated a decline in consumer interest to purchase a new vehicle and adjusted their projections accordingly. Chip manufacturers then followed suit, prioritising other sectors such as consumer electronics as they anticipated a reduced automotive manufacturing capacity. However, demand for new vehicles exceeded expectations, leaving the industry with a demand it could not fill. Tomas believes the accelerated demand
for chips in the automotive sector will remain steady for some time due to the current backlog. Tis means the long- term prognosis for chip makers for the automotive sector is positive. And while things are beginning to slowly return to normal, at present the price of hard-to-get components like ICs has skyrocketed. Te shortage has led to major car
manufacturers eliminating certain features in new models because they are unable to obtain enough components to ensure
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54
