Alternative parts solutions

Alternative parts solutions

The reality of having to use alternative electronic components is an easy concept, but the practicalities and the implementation of having to do something different can be a different story altogether. Original specification components can become just too expensive, or previously easy component availability can quite easily turn into component unavailability all too quickly. When you begin to switch parts, for whatever reason, the complexity of sourcing and supply can become far more difficult.

Vanilla have access to the latest ‘Design Libraries’ and specification sheets, and also use our smart tools that check for

  • Component attributes
  • Availability
  • Lifecycle
  • Lead times
  • Compliance
  • Suppliers

 

 

Vanilla can research and source for the following:

Drop in replacements Simple ‘drop in replacements’ for a part number where multiple component are approved. This is possibly the easiest of sourcing options where components are totally interchangeable, which are usually pre-specified and approved components. The real advantage of this is that simple ‘drop in replacements’ help to maintain a fully resilient supply chain.

Functional alternatives Where simple ‘drop in replacements’ are nit suitable, functional alternatives, which serve the same function but are not interchangeable, can be another option. However, before being implemented, each component will need to be thoroughly evaluated and tested by engineers,  sometimes design changes can be necessary.

Functional equivalent alternatives These alternatives can be equal or in many case even better than the original part in levels of performance and so the choice then becomes an either or. Again, design changes may become necessary, as the original component fails to meet the product’s new requirements.

Custom part alternatives These can very expensive to produce.

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