Delivery times for a series of products needed to run machinery and fabricate products were the fastest in May, according to Purchasing's monthly buyer survey, a sign of slower-than-usual industrial activity.

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Buyers of electronic connectors can expect delivery leadtimes to fall back to the 6- to 8-week range later in the summer. Leadtimes have been stretching since February and probably peaked close to 10 weeks in May for PCB, PLCC and d-subminiature types because demand was higher than expected. However, since demand is projected to decrease in the summer months and inventory is expected to build, there should be shorter interconnect system leadtimes. Market researchers see overall connector demand softer this year due to an overall slowdown in global economic growth.

Titanium sheet leadtimes are starting to stretch out simply because deliveries to builders of newer models of fuel-efficient commercial aircraft, large and small, have caught their breath and are sprinting ahead again. Some key sheet products were taking almost 14 weeks for delivery in June and some market mavens predict leadtimes will jump to the 18- to 20-week range in the very near future. Boeing alone has enough jetliners on order requiring enough titanium for engines and airframes to keep supplies tight—and leadtimes extended for small-volume buyers—for the next several years.

Durable and consumer goods production is softer than expected this year, so supplies of hot-dipped and electrogalvanized are clogging steel mill depots and service center warehouses across Industrial America—as well as the Customs warehouses at ports of entry. The coated sheet market has been in disarray for some time. Now, analysts suggest that the continuing demand weakness for coated-steel sheet from service centers, automakers, appliance manufacturers and building products firms this summer will keep supply loose.