Rising component prices, extended lead times and supply chain difficulties are prompting electronics manufacturers to look beyond established distributors. At stand E33, alternative electronic components distributor, Zel Components, is highlighting how engineers and procurement teams can reduce component costs and supply risk by considering alternative manufacturers, with a focus on semiconductors, memory, microcontrollers and passive components at this year’s Microelectronics show, taking place at ExCeL London from 29 to 30 September.
Zel Components will focus on a select number of manufacturers whose products address some of the supply and cost pressures currently facing the electronics sectors.
Among the manufacturers featured will be Slkor, a semiconductor manufacturer specialising in power devices and other discrete components, and Kinghelm, an electronic components manufacturer supplying connectors, cables and related products.
Xsemitron, a memory manufacturer, will also feature, offering products aimed at customers looking for alternatives where availability, lead time or price has become a problem. The company’s team includes engineers with previous experience at major semiconductor manufacturers, including Micron and AMD.
“People are looking at the same manufacturers because they know the names and they know the products, but that can leave them exposed when prices increase or lead times stretch,” said James Tyler, operations director at Avant Electronics Ltd, a sister company to Zel Components.
“The potential cost and lead-time benefits can be significant. Recently, for example, we quoted an Xsemitron memory product at around one-third of the price of the customer’s existing market option, while the quoted lead time was also around one-third of the time the customer was experiencing.”
“Chinese-manufactured products are already widely used by consumers and businesses, meaning many people are already using products containing components from manufacturers they may not recognise. I believe the next step is for electronics manufacturers to take a more deliberate approach to evaluating alternative suppliers, rather than viewing lesser-known manufacturers as an automatic risk.”
Zel attributes some of this price competitiveness to the lower overheads and manufacturing costs of smaller, growing manufacturers. Products can still be manufactured in established electronics production locations including China and Malaysia, with manufacturers vetted and certified against the global industry standards required by customers.
Zel Components will also highlight alternative microcontrollers from Difmicro, a microcontroller manufacturer targeting products from major manufacturers including STMicroelectronics and Microchip.
Zel Components has also begun stocking selected products from the manufacturers for the UK market, including Xsemitron, Difmicro, MDD and Kingform. Its range of stocked products is currently limited to selected categories and is expected to expand.
“We want people to leave the show thinking about their bill of materials in a slightly different way,” added Tyler. “If there’s a component that’s expensive, difficult to source or has a long lead time, it’s worth asking whether there is a credible alternative. This means having more options available when you need them.”
