Content area
Full text
Since the rechargeable battery market is dominated by Japanese suppliers, availability has been a concern for buyers. Purchasers have to understand that if product is manufactured offshore, lead times are going to be long, according to suppliers.
For cells manufactured in Japan, lead times can range from 18 to 24 weeks, but if they are produced in the United States, deliveries are four weeks, said Annette Woodin, battery product manager at Promark Electronics Inc., Columbus, Ohio.
Generally, distributors try to forecast what will be the hot cells and keep them in inventory, Woodin said. Once Promark has a blanket order, the company can usually get lead times down to two weeks.
The move of operations to North America by many Japanese suppliers has resulted in an improvement in lead times, said Tim Pugh, director of purchasing, batteries, at Black & Decker Corp., Towson, Md. Panasonic opened a major packaging facility last year in Mexico, and Sanyo recently expanded its plant there as well.
Lead times for nickel-cadmium and nickel/metal hydride range from four to eight weeks for standard cells, while custom battery pack deliveries are 10 weeks or more, depending on the design.
One exception:Lead times on newer high-capacity nickel/metal hydride batteries are stretching to 12 to 24 weeks, said Ken Hawk, president of 1-800-Batteries, San Jose.
Rechargeable battery systems-nickel-cadmium, nickel/metal hydride, and lithium-ion-are used in a variety of applications, including portable PCs, cellular phones, mobile communications, camcorders, PDAs, handheld electronics, and power tools.
Reliability is the key consideration for choosing a battery supplier, said Pugh, who buys more than $100 million of rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries annually. "If the batteries don't work, then the products don't work."
Another priority for battery purchasers is making sure the battery works in its specific application. Pugh noted that suppliers should be partners in the overall development of a battery to ensure that the best possible product is designed for specific applications.
"We are always working with suppliers to tailor the cells to meet the requirements we have, particularly in heavy-duty products," Pugh said. "And we are continuing to push ahead at higher voltages and higher drain rates."
Although engineering dictates the specifications of a battery, buyers are involved in issues of quality, payment terms, inventory control, supply...