Purchase BOM from single source? Experiences? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: nardev
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 24, 2018, 07:15:08 pm
content: I'm preparing few prototypes and i have several BOM lists but i find it quite difficult to chase around cheap parts on ebay.Is there any proper supplier which is affordable and easy going which can just take the list and send me the invoice easily?All parts that i need are available on ebay, not always affordable as on taobao.I don't want to keep big stocks of parts and buy big kits of which i need only 2 values out of 100 different etc.thnx

author: mbest
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2018, 07:19:19 pm
content: I've been trying to figure out this myself, for items from aliexpress or banggood, etc.If it's strictly ICs and passives, you can probably get them from LCSC.Otherwise I was looking at shipping aggregators that will purchase the items for you and then consolidate them and ship the final package to you.edit: ICs and passiveshttps://lcsc.com/

author: nardev
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 24, 2018, 07:23:15 pm
content: For example i want to test same board but one PCB is mostly 0603 caps/resistors/inductors... and same thing with mostly 0805 parts.Also, some ICs but i often need 10-20 max 50 of those, i don't want to get 1000 as sometimes some suppliers require.So, actually i wish to find someone who is in china and who can collect that for me so that i don't need to stroll around on ebay and wait sometimes 2 months etc.

author: nardev
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 24, 2018, 08:16:14 pm
content: well, lcsc looks pretty good, bit expensive than ebay but i guess that what i would save on time.. just hope i'll be able to get all i need.

author: mbest
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2018, 08:21:53 pm
content: It really depends what it is, but there are no clone parts I was told.Some parts will be cheaper out of eg. Digikey especially ICs in my experience, but it's not universal.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 24, 2018, 08:55:01 pm
content: If you buy from China, there will be massive amounts of counterfeits. I'm pretty sure you already got such, just don't realize that. I'd suggest TME (especially passives and common transistors, ICs), Farnell, Mouser. Often components will be cheaper compared togenuinestuff from China. If you have order of decent value (depends on country), shipping from Mouser will be free.QuoteYou should write - chase for cheap counterfeit parts. Even LM358 usually are counterfeit.

author: mrpackethead
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2018, 08:56:36 pm
content: I have bought a LOT ( tens of thousands of dollars ) of parts from LCSC and they are legit, real parts. And they deliver on time. freight is easy.Ebay... you are in a whole differnet space!

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 24, 2018, 09:03:37 pm
content: Quote from: mrpackethead on September 24, 2018, 08:56:36 pmYeah but I don't think you'll get any overall savings compared to TME. BTW ebay/aliexpress parts even if genuine often are old stock or even old parts remarked with a new date code. Such parts usually just do not solder well. May be bearable if soldered by hand with additional flux but really suck for reflow.

author: mrpackethead
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 24, 2018, 09:51:40 pm
content: Quote from: wraper on September 24, 2018, 09:03:37 pmNever used TME. I have done parts verification with the orginal manufacturers to make sure that they are the real deal. I'm buying brands like Samsung, TDK, Panasonic, NXE.. I dont' tend to buy Microcontrollers out of China, as they are more expensive.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 24, 2018, 09:59:43 pm
content: Quote from: mrpackethead on September 24, 2018, 09:51:40 pmIt's cheap (like $2.5 for a reel of SMT resistors), and as I'm in EU, next day shipping and no customs (we have tiny EUR 22 limit). AFAIK it's decent if ordering from overseas too.

author: mrpackethead
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2018, 02:50:14 am
content: Quote from: wraper on September 24, 2018, 09:59:43 pmI'll certainly look at them . IN fact i think we might have used them once last year, when they had somethign that no one else had. I had a look for a reel of 10k resitors and certainly did'tn find them for $2.5 though. More like $22. Which puts them in the same price point as Digikey.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 25, 2018, 09:22:20 am
content: Quote from: mrpackethead on September 25, 2018, 02:50:14 amThey may have some components priced like digikey but the vast majority is at least a few times cheaper. Hmm, resistor price have jumped several times since the last time bought those. I guess worldwide passive shortage has something to do with this. Last time I made a large order MLCC were already expensive but resistors still remained the same as before. Interestingly some resistor networks still cost the same. What a weird time when a single resistor costs as much as res network.QuoteStill $14, not $22.https://www.tme.eu/gb/details/0603saj0103t5e/0603-smd-resistors/royal-ohm/

author: Jeroen3
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2018, 09:49:44 am
content: I prefer mouser, they ship in bags with the most information on it, and each text has a barcode if you're into that (eg: assisted assembly). Often the full product code, name and value fields. They also have a nice BOM manager on their website.

author: nardev
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 06, 2018, 05:56:07 pm
content: So far so good.It took a while but i had an option to choose DHL if i needed parts sooner. So, i'm happy.The best of all is that i was able to get some rarely available parts, some buttons, switches of unusual shape and soem relays that cost 3 to 5 times more on mouser, digikey etc.. if they have it..

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 06, 2018, 06:34:25 pm
content: I order piles of stuff from LCSC. Sometimes gets here before RS next dayNo problems with any parts here. I’ve actually been experimenting with the “no brand” stuff on there as well and it all does exactly what it says on the tin.

author: nardev
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 06, 2018, 08:48:38 pm
content: Next time i'll testwww.tme.euandwww.arrow.comlooks like they have good service too.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2018, 09:36:57 pm
content: Meh. Those resistor prices seem to be nearly identical with Mouser US. I think I paid 15 dollars per 5000 pieces on my last two orders. (9.00 per 3K reel of 0603)One thing I notice with Mouser, if you sort by price, the first several components have the lowest individual unit price, but they almost always have a bad cost in quantity. You have to scroll down approximately 4 or 5 spots to get to the good stuff.I also don't set out to buy exactly 10K resistors. For a pullup, Imma use a range of value and take what's cheapest.

author: Jeroen3
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2018, 08:31:58 am
content: I just thought how nice it would it be if you had an option to choose for shipping option "manual assembly", where they ship all parts in labeled small sealed tray bins.We did once receive an horrible inefficient package from Wurth, so there are trays on the market.

author: SMTech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2018, 10:36:33 am
content: To be honest, in our experience as a manufacturer RS/Farnell/whoever are already far too heavily geared towards serving "Ted in his shed" who orders tiny quantities of things and cares nothing for production compatibility. This has an adverse affect on everyone else, so I might want for example 200 SO8 parts, which is rather less than the 2500 on a std reel, a cut tape would be perfectly acceptable, but no, because of "Ted in his sodding shed", RS has chopped that entire 2500 reel, that represents their entire stock, into strips of 1 and put them in stupid little bags. Frankly they all need to move that kind of service to another tier, make it the exception not the rule its drives me up the wall. You can theoretically bypass the issue some of the time by liaising with a specific desk/service area for some of these suppliers, but that stops you ordering online and adds the delay of a human processing your order.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2018, 11:20:43 am
content: That pisses me off no end that does and I am Ted in his shedIt's either that or get buggered for re-reeling. CPC are the worst. Bought 100 1N4004's to carry future stock and every one was one diode neatly cut off ammo pack and bagged. And some of the bags were empty where they had cocked up.I think RS / Farnell / CPC are "dumbass optimised" i.e. the lowest pay grade people they can pile into the packing floor.LCSC ship quantity cut off reels for low quantities. I haven't tried production quantities (yet) but I assume if you buy 5Kpc they just throw a reel in a bag and ship it.

author: nardev
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 08, 2018, 11:35:46 am
content: Quote from: bd139 on November 08, 2018, 11:20:43 amIn my order i had about 70 different items 3 to 300 quantity and everything nicely packed... Even, more than needed. One chip they put in paper box and than in an anti-static bag.They didn't make issue if i ordered 3-4 kinds of caps sometimes 2pcs and sometimes 30pcs. They treated it all same... Usually in local electronics shop if i say 3pcs of some kind of transistor and 10 x 10k resistors, they look at me as if i'm wasting their time... So, i'm pleased with this.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2018, 11:46:03 am
content: Quote from: SMTech on November 08, 2018, 10:36:33 amAs long as you remember to select the production packaging option, RS are usually OK, but if they've already cut their only stock of a part into bits that's a pain.IME Farmell are usually OK, barring the very occasional crushed tape in a bag.But for production I tend to default to Digikey simply because the website is the least painful.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2018, 11:55:05 am
content: Do digikey handle VAT / customs properly? I am forever afraid of getting mugged by the parcel monkeys.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2018, 12:56:45 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on November 08, 2018, 11:55:05 amYes, Digikey and Mouser now work just like Uk suppliers - VAT charged at time of order, no surprises later.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2018, 01:03:33 pm
content: Thanks. Good news. That gives me an excuse to order a couple of Hammond transfomers I wanted.

author: SMTech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2018, 01:05:19 pm
content: They also seem to make less picking errors, and those times they have no choice but to put chips in bags, pack them in a way that minimises the risk of damage. Of course its not next day...There is also Anglia, they do something called Ready Reel where they re-reel stuff typically at 1000 parts instead of 3k or 5k, they then stick a little blue sticker on the reel that says "CUT TAPE Inspect Orientation" this sticker means we can't bothered to train our monkeys, they absolutely have wound this tape on backwards, and we don't care.

author: olkipukki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2018, 02:36:26 pm
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff on November 08, 2018, 12:56:45 pmMouser clears items via French VAT number, so basically EC sales to UK customer and you do not pay VAT (assuming VAT registered business)

author: olkipukki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 08, 2018, 03:09:32 pm
content: Quote from: SMTech on November 08, 2018, 10:36:33 amthisIt seems like nothing else to do more practical for Farnell...as example, bought thousand connector housings, received - hundreds 'little bags' (ration 1:10) and spend quite a bit of time to 'unpack' these

author: nardev
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 08, 2018, 07:20:43 pm
content: Quote from: olkipukki on November 08, 2018, 03:09:32 pmNah.. don't open it, just cut the top with scalpel penmuch satisfying

author: LapTop006
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 09, 2018, 07:40:32 am
content: Quote from: olkipukki on November 08, 2018, 03:09:32 pmThat happens with Digikey sometimes too, my most recent order had 100 100Ω 0805 resistors delivered in three bags with 25 each, one bag with 21, another with 3, and a final one with just one.They also repack things which don't need repacking, like batteries, in another recent order I ordered 10 coin cells, and each one had been rebagged into their own bags, that were much larger than the cardboard packaging they normally come in.

author: KL27x
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2018, 04:22:53 am
content: The most annoying thing Mouser ever did to me was send me a tube of QFN that appeared to be the loose chips repacked by hand. They were all turned 90 degrees. But I've seen gigantic piles of individually bagged components, before, and now I know it wasn't necessarily the result of my client clearing out a Radio Shack going out of business sale.The other annoying thing is when you order the amount shown as "available," and select "one shipment when complete." Then they go to fill it, and they come up one short. Then your order never ships until they get new stock. Of course, it is also annoying when you get 99% of your order, then 1 month later you get that last chip shipped out to you. I think it should be obvious when you order 100% of what's in stock that they will automatically reduce it to what's actually in stock if they turn out to have 1 less available than shown, and send you a notice.

author: nardev
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 12, 2018, 05:40:41 am
content: Just got an email from LCSC, of 80 battery clips, they have 79But that was ok in my case. Good that they case about that.someone bought 420 while i was adding products to cart so i have to wait for restocking