As industries worldwide recover from recent challenges, manufacturers face an unprecedented obstacle: extended lead times for automation and control components. With Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) quoting lead times of over 20 weeks, and in some cases over a year, maintaining operations and meeting production targets becomes increasingly difficult.
The Siemens S7 product family crisis
The Siemens S7 product family is currently experiencing a surge in demand due to increasing scarcity caused by long lead times offered by the OEM. Specifically, products with part numbers starting with "6ES7" are being heavily sought after. These parts play a crucial role in modern industrial automation systems and the inability to obtain these components in a timely manner can lead to production delays and lost business opportunities for manufacturers.
The lead time crisis faced by manufacturers is not just limited to the automation and control industry. Across the board, manufacturers are grappling with shortages of raw materials, labour, and transportation. These disruptions have led to significant increases in the cost of components, compounding the challenges faced by manufacturers through supply chain disruptions and component shortages.
How can manufacturers navigate the lead time crisis?
Despite these challenges, manufacturers can still keep their production lines moving with the help of trusted suppliers. A dependable supplier offers access to an extensive, reliable, global network, facilitating the procurement of required automation components in much shorter time frames.
In addition to offering a more expedited delivery of automation parts, it is also important to identify a supplier that is committed to ensuring the quality and reliability of the components they supply. This focus on quality assurance further bolsters the confidence of the thousands of manufacturers who choose to partner with EU Automation.
Guarding against the future
With OEM lead times showing no signs of decreasing, leading manufacturers are turning to suppliers like EU Automation to keep their production lines moving. By choosing EU Automation, manufacturers not only alleviate the lead time crisis but also rest easy in the knowledge that their purchase is covered by a full warranty and supported by a dedicated native-speaking account manager.
Do you need an automation or control part quickly? Get in touch or search for a part number today.
