Nexperia crisis: Nothing learned from Corona - secure the supply chain now

The current developments surrounding Nexperia show with full force how vulnerable supply chains still are - and not just for high-end chips, but also for "inconspicuous" standard components that are found in every vehicle and every machine. After the Netherlands took control of the Dutch chip manufacturer with Chinese ownership for security reasons and China banned the export of certain Nexperia parts, the automotive industry is warning of production stoppages. According to reports, manufacturers are even preparing for short-time working; at the same time, it is said that Nexperia is currently unable to reliably guarantee deliveries. It is precisely this mixed situation - governance interventions, export bans, months of requalification - that is leading to the acute susceptibility to disruption that we have already experienced during the pandemic. Nothing learned from corona? Unfortunately, it feels that way.

The facts are inconvenient: Nexperia does not supply "top AI chips" like NVIDIA or other well-known manufacturers, but rather large quantities of so-called discrete semiconductors - elementary components for the automotive industry. Accordingly, the German industry association VDA is warning of risks, including production stoppages; manufacturers are monitoring the situation and emphasizing short-term hedging, but structural dependence remains a problem. Anyone still relying on an exclusive source of supply in the Far East is playing with the production security of their own plants.

This dependency does not only affect chips. PCB supply chains are also global, multi-level and therefore vulnerable. Any disruption - be it political, logistical, certification or compliance - has a direct impact on costs, deadlines and quality. If you rely on a purely offshore setup and do not maintain a second source, you lose reaction speed and, above all, reliability. This is precisely why we at PRECOPLAT have always relied on "Made in Germany": short distances, secure data, fast response - and the ability to ramp up capacities in a predictable manner.
Andreas BR?GGEN, Managing Director of Precoplat: "For us, Made in Germany means: short distances, secure data and fast response - with the option to ramp up capacities in a plannable manner when it matters."

"But local procurement is too expensive ...?" - An example calculation:
Let's take a simple, illustrative calculation for a MidClass PCB:
- 100% Asia: EUR8.00 each.
- 10% of the quantity as a second source at PRECOPLAT: EUR12.00 each.

Mixed unit price:
90 % ? 8,00 EUR = 7,20 EUR
10 % ? 12,00 EUR = 1,20 EUR
Total = 8.40 EUR.

That is +EUR0.40 per unit or +5% compared to purely offshore procurement. For 1,000 units, that would be an additional EUR400 - in exchange for a reliable second source, shorter response times and the option to scale up to Germany immediately in the event of disruptions. With PRECOPLAT, precisely this 10% is already enough to keep qualification, data statuses and processes "warm" - and to ramp up the volume without losing time in an emergency.

Sustainability & risk: a double argument for Europe
In addition to risk prevention, there are ecological reasons for European PCBs: stricter environmental and labor standards, shorter transport routes, lower emissions and traceable process chains. Some companies, such as Wurm GmbH & Co. KG Elektronische Systeme, have already recognized this and have publicly justified their decision for European PCBs with sustainability, environmental protection and water conservation - a path that is not only right, but also smart in these geopolitically tense times. (https://www.wurm.de/sites/default/files/public/download/LEITERPLATTEN_D.pdf)

Our offer:
- Transparency: Clarity about production status, batch sizes and delivery dates - without time zone and language barriers.
- Reliability: Stable, plannable supply chains instead of ad hoc fire departments.
- Speed of response and scalability: If part of your series is already running with us, we can expand capacities at short notice - with existing tool data, identical production documentation and tested quality.

From our point of view, the message of the Nexperia crisis is clear: secure your supply chains. Set up a second source in Europe/Germany - not "someday", but now. This will protect your production, mitigate geopolitical risks and contribute to local industrial value creation at the same time.

You can find out more about our "Made in Germany" approach on our website:
https://www.precoplat.de/made-in-germany/
https://www.precoplat.de/weshalb-leiterplatten-made-in-germany/

Hans Tenberg
Precoplat Pr?zisions-Leiterplatten-Technik GmbH
Oberdie?emer Stra?e 15
Krefeld 47805
Germany

https://www.precoplat.de/

The family business PRECOPLAT is managed in the second generation by the siblings Andreas BR?GGEN and Katharina V?LKER and produces highly automated and in all series sizes - unpopulated single and double-sided PCBs, multilayers up to 24 layers and semi-flexible PCBs at the production site in NRW, which has grown to 25,000 square meters.

The story of PRECOPLAT begins in the early 1970s in the basement of a nightclub: inspired by the movie "Saturday Night Fever", restaurateur Manfred V?LKER wanted to jump on the bandwagon of modern disco equipment with an elaborate lighting and sound design. In order to save costs, V?LKER developed circuits based on copper-coated Pertinax plates together with some electronics students who were "in the chalk" due to excessive partying. Tired of years of catering, but keenly interested in this technology, V?LKER saw the commercial prospects of the printed circuit board and founded PRECOPLAT Pr?zisions-Leiterplatten-Technik GmbH in Krefeld in 1977.

To this day, the entire manufacturing process - from work preparation to final electrical testing - takes place under one roof. PRECOPLAT has thus developed from a former "basement child" into a highly modern medium-sized company with currently around 75 employees and an annual turnover of twelve million euros. Further information on PRECOPLAT can be found online at precoplat.de.

This release was published on openPR.