Ferrite core shortages - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: uer166
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 08:27:57 pm
content: Does anyone know anything about ferrite shortages? I heard there is some iron core war between Australia and China (that I've never heard of) happening and lead times are into multi-month now. This is for basic bitch flybacks, nothing special whatsoever.

author: Medved
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 09:02:31 pm
content: Iron cores aren't ferrite cores, so maybe it won't influence them.But the question is, if that dispute means iron powder, or just the electrical steel, or generally all materials for magnetic cores.

author: uer166
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 09:57:31 pm
content: "iron" core might have been mis-spoken by our supplier. The specific issue is apparently with ferrite core material and chemicals that are used in manufacture.

author: TimNJ
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 11:00:03 pm
content: No mention of this. What ferrite vendors do you usually source from?

author: HB9EVI
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 11:23:17 pm
content: didn't notice any shortage on FairRite ferrite materials so far; Micrometals powdered iron are a bit trickier to get, but still possible

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 02:57:51 am
content: wow this is like a melange shortage

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 07:20:36 am
content: Unless you have already noted, there is now another generic component availability crisis concerning most component types and manufacturers, more or less. Such crises happen every few years due to the mismatch in prediction and actual realization of market demand, i.e., failure to invest in increasing production capabilities, or even unwarranted shutdown of production, due to the wrong prediction of sales ½-2 years in the future. Now it's especially bad, the Covid caused negative predictions about demand so factories went down, but the opposite happened and the demand is there but production isn't. So there doesn't even need to be anything ferrite-specific going on.The worst part usually lasts about half a year and then it starts to get better. Redesign usually doesn't work because once you have wasted 3 months redesigning, then the replacement parts you used have availability problems, and if you wait for another 2-3 months, the original part is well available again.

author: xavier60
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 09:44:09 am
content: Quote from: Siwastaja on March 10, 2021, 07:20:36 amThat's what I'm experiencing mainly with MOSFETs and driver ICs.

author: Hydron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 11:44:47 am
content: Try and buy a STM32 right now. Such a fucking pain, even in my position where I can pick ~any of them as long as they have 20 or more pins, aren't huge or expensive, and have an I2C capable bootrom.

author: jonpaul
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 01:48:49 pm
content: No shortages here.For decades we have used TDK and Nippon Ceramic as well as EPCOS, Philips, Fair Rite.We see no shortage of production SMD cores or bobbins.However the normal lead time foe any production ferrite (100-100,00 sets) is 3-6 months.Finally many distributors have stock such as Allstar Magnetics, MHW, etc.Look on epay for overstock parts.Kind Regards,Jon