We’ve written before about the growing role of software and connectivity in the automotive space and the massive expansion in internal computing in vehicles. Computerized applications are used widely for both driving and safety features and for the V2X (vehicle-to-everything) user/consumer experience.
As we approach the final quarter of 2021, the global semiconductor shortage continues to disrupt the auto industry. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much change in sight. The ongoing shortage of chips that are suitable for automotive applications, which we wrote about previously, means that car makers simply don’t have enough chips to put into all their models.
Here are some current examples of automaker slowdowns:
Closures and slowdowns like these and others further impact auto suppliers, whose parts and subassemblies are in less demand since the cars aren’t being made at previous volumes.
It’s hard to isolate a single factor causing this mess. What began as rolling shutdowns in auto plants due to worker shortages from COVID snowballed into lower vehicle production overall and a reduction in orders for new automotive semiconductors. That triggered chipmakers to focus on chips for other industries that were not suffering the same shortages, such as consumer electronics. What’s more, because car makers tend to rely on “just in time” production methods, they didn’t have much chip back-stock to turn to. So, they’re now waiting for chip makers to be ready to shift production. But as if that’s not enough, the chip plants themselves are facing delays because their plants are adversely affected by harsh weather, worker illness, and their own material shortages.
Like it or not, the Delta variant of COVID-19 and varied access to vaccines worldwide mean the pandemic is not over and is still very much in control. Worker shortages due to widespread illness are adding another layer to the challenge. As The Guardian reports, “German chipmaker Infineon, the top automotive supplier, was forced to suspend production at one of its plants in Malaysia in June, due to a coronavirus outbreak.”
Worker shortages in shipping and logistics, raw materials manufacturing, and other industries also contribute to limited supply of materials. In addition to semiconductors, glass, plastics, and metals are in short supply now too. And in many cases, so are the drivers and shipping containers needed to transport them.
The result is often last-minute cancellations of orders, rescheduled deliveries, and harried scrambling to fill in the gaps with other work. It underscores how interconnected and delicate the global supply chain is.
At CEP Technologies, we feel it also shows the importance of communication between suppliers and manufacturers because we’re all in it together. We strive to be not just your supplier, but your partner – please contact us to learn more.
It’s impossible to ignore the global semiconductor shortage has been in the news lately. And it probably won’t be going away any time soon. The impact on automakers, and ripple effect on their suppliers, is significant. A recent case in point is this June 30 article on production slowdowns at Ford plants:
“Automotive electronics, which may include everything from displays to in-car systems, are set to account for an estimated 45% of a car’s manufacturing cost by 2030, according to a Deloitte report,” reports this article from Bloomberg. Clearly a component in demand, semiconductors have expanded the driving experience immensely for consumers.
In part one of this blog series, we gave an overview of plating to accomplish a specific function, such as solderability, corrosion resistance, enhanced thermal or electrical conductivity, or appearance. Here we’ll dive a little deeper and examine two of the most common methods, and an alternative to plating that’s worth considering too.
Electric vehicles (EV) are on the move. According to McKinsey, “OEMs plan to launch around 400 new BEVs by 2025, with a strong focus on medium-sized and large vehicles.” And numbers from Statista project that EV sales will grow from about 26 percent of all vehicle sales in 2030 to over 80 percent by 2050.
Progressive stamped parts sometimes require a top layer of material over the base metal to accomplish a specific function, such as solderability, corrosion resistance, enhanced thermal or electrical conductivity, or appearance. Electroplating is a common way to apply material and is often efficient and cost-effective. In this blog, we’ll look at how electroplating works, and in part two, we’ll focus more on two of the most common methods, plus an alternative to plating that’s worth considering too.
These days when it seems everything has gone digital, it’s easy to forget about all the mechanical components that are critical to electronics and batteries, especially in cars and trucks. Industry leaders, governments, and citizens all want to reduce carbon emissions and rely less on fossil fuels. At the same time, semi-autonomous and “smart” vehicles are gaining popularity for safety reasons, driver convenience, and e-mobility.
As with any commodity, metal prices are influenced by a number of factors: mining and production costs, supply chain factors, tariffs, and more. Here’s a quick look at what drives prices of the metals that go into stampings.
E-mobility and battery electric vehicles are a hot topic lately. According to a recent issue of Today’s eMobility, major automakers have announced or begun $11.6 billion in plant investments in 2020 to support electric vehicles (EVs). And then there’s GM’s recent announcement of their intention to eliminate tailpipe emissions from their new light-duty vehicles by 2035. And in daily life, battery-electric and hybrid vehicles seem to show up in more and more streets, parking lots, and garages around the world.
With the potential to turn the auto industry on its head, not to mention the countless suppliers, OEMs, vendors, and workers that support it, manufacturers need to look ahead and plan for the consequences. In the post, we’ll share our take on electric car basics and the implications for progressive die stamping.