Malaysia aluminum disruption adds to global chip shortage

[Daniel Sims]

Why it matters: Covid-related lockdowns in Malaysia have restrained the manufacture and supply of aluminum capacitors, adding another wrinkle to the global chip shortage. This follows recent problems in the supply of components like rare earth metals and ceramics.

Digitimes Asia reports that Japanese suppliers Chemi-Con and Nichicon had to close their facilities in Malaysia because of Covid lockdowns in July and August. Even after ending the lockdowns, they've reportedly only returned to around 60 percent of their workforce, which has forced them to cap their manufacturing capacity.

Together with another company, Rubycon, Chemi-Con, and Nichicon have a significant portion of global aluminum capacitor market share. Aluminum capacitors are a passive component important in electronic vehicles, computers, and other devices.

Industry sources tell Digitimes that shipments of aluminum capacitors from Malaysia could decrease by between 30 and 60 percent due to the Covid situation there. Lead times have increased to over six months. Some orders from those Japanese companies have started to spill over to Taiwan and China-based suppliers.

These are only the latest components causing problems for the global supply chains that go into electronics. Over the past year, prices of rare-earth metals have gone up, which is likely to impact the cost of electronics.

The lockdowns in Malaysia have also affected the supply of ceramic capacitors, which are essential for circuit boards. A shortage of display driver chips this year could affect the manufacture of everything that comes with a screen. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) thinks the global semiconductor shortage will likely last into 2022.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/91426-malaysia-aluminum-disruption-adds-global-chip-shortage.html

 

[passwordistaco]

"forced them to cap their manufacturing capacity."

They capped their capacity for capacitors.

 

[yRaz]

Maybe I should stop throwing beer cans on the fire...

 

[Tantor]

Malaysia is over 60% vaxed. If the vax worked there would be no need to shut down.

 

[kiwigraeme]

Malaysia is over 60% vaxed. If the vax worked there would be no need to shut down.

Did you do your own research ?? is 60% the percentage needed to protect a society ?
Oh the horrid Vax -it doesn't stop you from getting the Delta strain - you still have to isolate.
was it really worth it ensuring your kids have a parent by 9 times more chance you survive? . Ignoring long covid and clogging the hospital beds because freedumb means taking ICU beds away from cancer, heart patients - our icus are full lets go to those vaxing places - wonder why they have free beds ? - just say neigh to taking other States beds , go to the vet and you will be in a Stable condition in no time

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Did you do your own research ?? is 60% the percentage needed to protect a society ?
Oh the horrid Vax -it doesn't stop you from getting the Delta strain - you still have to isolate.
was it really worth it ensuring your kids have a parent by 9 times more chance you survive? . Ignoring long covid and clogging the hospital beds because freedumb means taking ICU beds away from cancer, heart patients - our icus are full lets go to those vaxing places - wonder why they have free beds ? - just say neigh to taking other States beds , go to the vet and you will be in a Stable condition in no time

Careful, it may sound like you are suggesting the vaccine doesnt stop this common cold, and that is Wrongthink. Take the vax, eat the bugs, and get in the pod!

 

[Sausagemeat]

Did you do your own research ?? is 60% the percentage needed to protect a society ?
Oh the horrid Vax -it doesn't stop you from getting the Delta strain - you still have to isolate.
was it really worth it ensuring your kids have a parent by 9 times more chance you survive? . Ignoring long covid and clogging the hospital beds because freedumb means taking ICU beds away from cancer, heart patients - our icus are full lets go to those vaxing places - wonder why they have free beds ? - just say neigh to taking other States beds , go to the vet and you will be in a Stable condition in no time

You haven’t done your research. Malaysias case numbers have been in decline for over a month. They are still very high but that would indicate that 60% is actually enough.

Of course it doesn’t compare to other parts of the world. Some have low vaccination rates and low infections (Egypt for example). Some like Israel have very high vaccination rates and very high infection rates.

There is no correct threshold for vaccines. Many countries are struggling to get higher than 60% as the population won’t have the vaccine. The virus is never going away. Not in our lifetimes anyway. At somepoint or another we will all get infected with it.

 

[kiwigraeme]

You haven’t done your research. Malaysias case numbers have been in decline for over a month. They are still very high but that would indicate that 60% is actually enough.

Of course it doesn’t compare to other parts of the world. Some have low vaccination rates and low infections (Egypt for example). Some like Israel have very high vaccination rates and very high infection rates.

There is no correct threshold for vaccines. Many countries are struggling to get higher than 60% as the population won’t have the vaccine. The virus is never going away. Not in our lifetimes anyway. At somepoint or another we will all get infected with it.

I understand it's country dependant - an island with practically no ICU beds - should probably be near 100% - as everyone will be quite communal - ie ramp up quick.
I also understand saying "look the vax doesn't work - vax people are still getting Covid " -is crap - as it's about deaths and hospitalisations and your ability to manage it via health care , contact tracing, bulk local testing - or just accepting as now a lesser threat than other health , stress, economic ete etc.
I'm pro-vax -people can make their own choices - but I don't accept their whining life isn't fair - I can not go to the game -I do want not communistic health care - while they clog the system - costing the taxpayers , because they can't afford the medical bill, stopping elective surgeries - that's why Timothy McVeigh gets some respect - he didn't whine/cry like a throw them in jail Politician when he's caught being a Pedo .

My response was to Tantors' comment