There seems to be no end in sight for component manufactures to catch up with the demand for electronic components. Both the manufacturers and the distributors inventory remain at low levels. This is only fuel to the counterfeit market. The longer the lead times the more spot buys OEM’s are forced to make. OEM’s are urged to select their suppliers carefully when purchasing from the open market. See article from Electronic Design “Semiconductor Inventory Levels Remain Low, While Lead Times Are Rising”
Robb Hammond, founder and president of AERI (American Electronic Resource, Inc.). Founding member and former committee chair of the SAE AS6081 Standard created for the avoidance of counterfeit electronic components. Robb founded AERI in Costa Mesa, California, in 1994 as an independent distributor of hard-to-find, obsolete and allocated electronic components. AERI is AS9120B, ISO 9001:2015 and AS6081 certified, tests to AS6171 standards, and inspects every part in its in-house QC lab before it ships. Robb writes about electronic component shortages, sourcing strategy and counterfeit avoidance.
