West Coast ports— the supply chain migraine
With West Coast gateways processing 60 per cent of goods shipped from Asia, John Denslinger explores contract negotiations and the importance of automation. Just as global supply problems seem to be easing, maybe not. Negotiations seeking a new multiyear agreement between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the…
Leveraging manufacturing resources to support global end markets
SigmaTron International’s president, Jim Barnes, explains how a catering equipment manufacturer is benefitting from a regionalized manufacturing strategy Logistics and materials challenges over the last two years are driving a need to closely evaluate electronics manufacturing outsourcing strategy. Record inflation, plus continued materials supply and demand imbalance are likely to…
EV connector compatibility conundrum
PEI-Genesis’ European product manager industrial, Dawn Robinson, unpicks the growing problem of EV connector standardisation and compatibility. Currently there are four common EV connectors: Type 1, Type 2 (including the Tesla supercharger), CHAdeMO and CCS. Type 1 (SAE J1772) were among the first EV connectors. These five-pin connectors supply single-phase…
Should chipmakers be preparing for a downturn?
Semiconductor sales are weakening amidst efforts by governments to tame spiking inflation. Are these the early signs of another downturn and how should chipmakers prepare for another one of its notorious downcycles? Semiconductor vendors, chip equipment makers and their OEM and EMS provider customers were still trying to make sense…
New enclosures assist electronic product design
OKW argues this is a golden age for electronics enclosures, with innovations making it easier to specify standard and customised enclosures that are specialised, versatile or both Once the bane of an electronics designer’s life—the challenge of specifying elegant enclosures within tight budgets and timescales—is now a breeze and the…
3 Steps to Take When Electronic Supply Runs Dry
The current global supply chain is not known for being a flexible system. Therefore, adaptability is a challenge that often falls on the customer. In the semiconductor industry, having a plan A, B and sometimes even C, in your back pocket can help businesses better navigate and pivot in an…
