Leads shrink despite rally
Staff -- Purchasing, 4/18/2002
Electronics market analysts have been saying component supplies could tighten up rather quickly when demand growth gets back on pace. But while PURCHASING's electronics demand indicators are showing definite signs of revival, the supply indicators have yet to show any indications of following suit. In fact, April leadtimes were shorter in 35 of the 41 electronic component categories tracked each month by PURCHASING Magazine.
While the monthly data series can be somewhat volatile from period to period, PURCHASING's three-month leadtime averages, which are trending upward in only three of the 41 categories tracked, confirm that componens remain readily available to most buyers. The only distinct, albeit moderate, tightening trend comes in printed circuit boards. Quarterly average leadtimes for multilayer, single-sided, and double-sided boards have risen now for three consecutive three-month periods. While that's bad for buyers, it confirms that business is strengthening among electronics OEMs. Categories that had shown some tightening recently, but which are now loosening up again include: DRAM, SRAM, capacitors, resistors, connectors, switches, relays and batteries.
| Raw data for latest month | Recent history: Weighted averages | Movement in latest month | ||||||||||||
| ELECTRONICS LEADTIMES | <1 wk | 2-5 wks | 6-10 wks | 11-20 wks | 21-30 wks | 30+ wks | Apr | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | |
| DRAM: 128 Mb | 23% | 69% | 8% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.2 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 5.1 | Shrink |
| DRAM: 64 Mb | 17% | 75% | 8% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 5.9 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 4.5 | Shrink |
| DRAM: 16 Mb | 20% | 70% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.4 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 5.6 | 5.2 | 6.4 | 4.2 | Shrink |
| SRAM: 4 Mb | 20% | 70% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 6.5 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.5 | Shrink |
| SRAM: 1 Mb | 20% | 70% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 6.5 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | Shrink |
| SRAM: 256 K | 10% | 80% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.7 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 8.8 | 5.5 | 6.7 | 4.2 | Shrink |
| Flash: 32 Mb | 20% | 70% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | Shrink |
| Flash: 16 Mb | 27% | 64% | 9% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.1 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 5.9 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 4.5 | Shrink |
| Flash: 8 Mb | 20% | 70% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 3.7 | 4.6 | Shrink |
| Logic: Bipolar | 20% | 80% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 4.2 | Shrink |
| Logic: CMOS | 33% | 67% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.5 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 6.2 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.9 | Shrink |
| MPU: 32-bit | 20% | 80% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.9 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 6.3 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 5.5 | Shrink |
| MPU: 16-bit | 40% | 60% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.3 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 4.3 | 4.6 | Shrink |
| Zener | 30% | 70% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.6 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 3.8 | Shrink |
| Thyristor | 30% | 70% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.2 | Shrink |
| Small-signal transistors | 42% | 58% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.3 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.2 | Shrink |
| MOSFET | 25% | 67% | 8% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.1 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 4.3 | Shrink |
| Analog digital converters | 15% | 77% | 8% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 8.2 | 6.2 | 5.5 | 4.3 | Shrink |
| Digital/analog converters | 18% | 82% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.0 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 7.2 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 4.3 | Shrink |
| Network resistors | 36% | 64% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.4 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 3.5 | Shrink |
| Thick film chip resistors | 23% | 77% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 4.6 | 3.5 | Shrink |
| Carbon film resistors | 44% | 56% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.2 | 3.9 | 2.5 | 5.8 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 2.9 | Shrink |
| Wirewound resistors | 33% | 60% | 7% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.8 | 2.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 4.4 | Shrink |
| Ceramic chip capacitors | 24% | 65% | 0% | 12% | 0% | 0% | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 6.0 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 4.3 | Shrink |
| Film capacitors | 31% | 56% | 0% | 13% | 0% | 0% | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 6.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | Shrink |
| Tantalum chip capacitors | 29% | 57% | 7% | 7% | 0% | 0% | 3.8 | 3.3 | 5.3 | 7.1 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 4.4 | Shrink |
| D-SUB connectors | 20% | 70% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.4 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 3.6 | Shrink |
| PLCC connectors | 18% | 55% | 27% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.7 | Stretch |
| PCB connectors | 14% | 57% | 29% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 4.4 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 4.2 | Stretch |
| DIP switches | 15% | 54% | 23% | 8% | 0% | 0% | 5.0 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 4.0 | 4.2 | Stretch |
| Pushbutton switches | 27% | 50% | 18% | 0% | 5% | 0% | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 6.0 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.3 | Stretch |
| Slide switches | 31% | 62% | 8% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 4.8 | Shrink |
| General purpose relays | 40% | 50% | 10% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.8 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 3.8 | Shrink |
| Solid state relays | 41% | 47% | 12% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.8 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 3.9 | Shrink |
| NiCd batteries | 39% | 50% | 11% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.8 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 6.2 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.4 | Shrink |
| NiMH batteries | 47% | 40% | 13% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2.7 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 6.9 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.5 | Shrink |
| Li-ion batteries | 27% | 45% | 27% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3.9 | 2.5 | 4.8 | 6.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.3 | Stretch |
| Switcher power supplies | 24% | 41% | 24% | 12% | 0% | 0% | 5.3 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 9.0 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 5.6 | Shrink |
| Single sided printed circuit boards | 0% | 77% | 23% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.6 | Shrink |
| Double sided printed circuit boards | 0% | 67% | 29% | 5% | 0% | 0% | 5.4 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.6 | Stretch |
| Multi-layer printed circuit boards | 0% | 68% | 32% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 6.1 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 5.0 | Shrink |
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