La nuova carenza di chip è costituita da componenti passivi

If you thought that the chip shortage was bad, then the building shortage of passive components, such as capacitors, resistors, inductors and so on, is going to have you in tears. Due to lockdowns in Malaysia and Indonesia, where most of the well known Japanese aluminium capacitors are made, the factories of Chemi-Con, Nichicon and Rubycon have been shut down for most of July and August. The three companies together control some 50 percent of the capacitor market and it’s expected that the current situation in Malaysia will lead to a reduction in capacitor shipments by 30 a 60 percent.

At the same time, the increased demand for everything from computer parts to renewable energy technology has ramped up demand for these components. Some of that business has been picked up by Taiwanese and Chinese manufacturers, but whereas in the past you could get your order in some four to six weeks, the lead times are now three to six months and that’s if you’re lucky. DigiTimes is reporting that several Taiwanese component makers have seen a YoY revenue growth of 20 percent or more for the first half of this year.

This has in turn led to some of the Taiwanese capacitor manufacturers eyeing buyouts of their suppliers to be able to provide a more streamlined and secured manufacturing pipeline, where they don’t have to worry about their competitors buying up stock from their suppliers. The shortage isn’t expected to ease in 2021, although if things improve in Malaysia and Indonesia, 2022 might see better supply of these vital components, but right now it’s anyone’s guess what will happen in the longer term.