Sourcing components in the 100..1000's

[Eclipze]

I am manufacturering an electronic product and are sourcing all the components at present. Does anyone have some good tips or online suppliers (particular in Australia) that deal in smaller quantities, mini reels, rails etc...

Everything is surface mount, so going to Farnell to buy the LED's I need will cost $350 for a few hundred, or I can go to a supplier and spend $500 for a couple of thousand. While the choice seems clear, adding up all the components like this blows the budget by heaps. In some cases, I want an automotive 3.3V regulator, 50mA, but Farnell doesn't have one. Going through a supplier for a good one at $1.18 each, MOQ of 1000, is a real killer for the budget.

Any comments appreciated.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I am manufacturering an electronic product and are sourcing all the components at present. Does anyone have some good tips or online suppliers (particular in Australia) that deal in smaller quantities, mini reels, rails etc...

Everything is surface mount, so going to Farnell to buy the LED's I need will cost $350 for a few hundred, or I can go to a supplier and spend $500 for a couple of thousand. While the choice seems clear, adding up all the components like this blows the budget by heaps. In some cases, I want an automotive 3.3V regulator, 50mA, but Farnell doesn't have one. Going through a supplier for a good one at $1.18 each, MOQ of 1000, is a real killer for the budget.

Any comments appreciated.

Hi,

I've never been involved in manufacturing, so I don't have any idea where to get components at good prices. However, companies like RS Components (and presumably Farnells?) do give better prices for quantities. Your qualtities are fairly small though, so you probably couldn't deal direct with most manufacturers - you would probably need to get in touch with local agents.

 

[bmcculla]

Digikey.com is the place to go for small quantities. I'm fairly sure they will ship to australia. Digikey has a great selection and a really good search engine.


Avnet also sometimes has small quantities available- it takes a lot more searching to find stuff on their web site.

Brent