SMD component manufacturer recommendation needed

[sainter]

Hi,

I want to start building up my smd component stock. So I'm planing to buy needed passives by reals, so I would have lifetime supply for prototype build. What SMD passive component manufacturer would you advise, witch should I avoid?

[DTJ]

Have you considered buying one of the kits of assorted SMD caps / resistors that are available cheaply?

You get say 50 of each and just buy another 100 or so few a few dollars when the original supply runs out.

[sainter]

I have a small stock of all the common SMD and through hole parts, but for commonly used values I would prefer to have a larger amount (pull up resistor, bypass caps, other commonly used values).

EDIT: Kit is around 5-10$, and you can get a 5000 component real for that cost.

[ebclr]

One that is a must buy is 0 ohm resistor

[wraper]

Would not suggest getting lifetime supply of parts. There is such thing as shelf life. After 5-10 years parts won't be as solderable as when they were new, and after 20 years you might have a trouble to solder them at all. If you are not using a lot of parts, then get those SMD resistor/capacitor kits from china, they are completely fine for any non critical job.

What SMD passive component manufacturer would you advise, witch should I avoid?

They all are good enough unless you have some special requirements. Proper PCB design and production process for avoiding mechanical stress on SMD parts is more important for their reliability.

[wraper]

EDIT: Kit is around 5-10$, and you can get a 5000 component real for that cost.

"reel" BTW. If you count how many components are in that kit, then your 5000 one type component saving won't look such a great deal anymore.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/232096106048
I buy reels myself, but because I'm pretty sure I will run through them in a few years maximum.

[sainter]

ok, lets say I do as you suggest, If in period of one year I need 100 or so, 10k R, i would buy 5 kits. At the end of the year, I still would have a single 10K and a bunch of values I don't need at all.

My train of thought- Buy a kit of assorted passives, and then buy reels of the stuff I use the most. And about shelf life, the same as with all supplies (batteries, food ...) you buy in bulk and you rotate, that is if you make some project, then you can use up your 2-3 year old component and buy new ones.

I'm taking my first baby steps ir EE, so all advice is welcomed, but the main question I had was about difference in quality of manufacturers, because, there is a price difference.

Btw, English is my second language so thanks for grammar lessons (no sarcasm).

[DTJ]

Just buy reels of popular values from a reputable supplier like RS or Element14 and you'll have no issues. Grab some eBay kits for the rest.

[ebclr]

  reputable supplier like RS or Element14   

[evb149]

Having a few good kits is a good way to get a wide assortment of values but only maybe 10 or 25 of each.

For the more commonly used values I don't see a big advantage of buying full reels since for cheap passives like resistors the reel capacities are often at least 2500 pieces, sometimes 3000, 5000, or 10000 pieces.  Although that may be a lifetime supply, as has been said, there are also concerns about the lifetime longevity of the solderability, the tape adhesive remaining fixed to the reel, and bulky storage, and so on that make it less convenient and more risky to have reels you expect not to use for more than 10 years.

For resistors and cheap MLCCs I find that the price to buy cut-tape quantities of maybe 100, 250, or 500 pieces is good enough that I can just get such quantities instead of a reel of 3000 at once and be happy to have enough for a year or a few in many cases without the cost and storage overhead of having a couple of dozen reels around.

That said sometimes I'll buy reels or partial reels from surplus places for certain components if the prices or compoents are particularly attractive but it is still easy to waste money buying more than you will need in a few years of a certain part so often it is better to just buy by the dozens or hundreds.  I still have surplus through hole components that I'm less likely to use in the future due to obsolescence because I bought too many at once thinking to get a "good deal" not thinking that in 5-10 years the technology would change so much they would not be very useful.

But if I would buy reels I'd get authentic / non-counterfit parts from suppliers like:
Vishay,
Kemet,
Murata,
Bourns,
AVX,
NXP,
TI,
Johanson,
Laird,
Wurth Elektronik,
Panasonic,
Susumu,
ON Semiconductor,
International Rectifier,
Diodes Incorporated,

[evb149]

What is so bad about Element14 in your opinion?
I have not used them very much but the times I have it seemed like they were "OK" though I could wish they would have a better
web site and some better electronic data input / output for BOM/invoice/parts list/data sheets & better labeling / packing in some ways.
So far I think DigiKey may be best and Mouser maybe better than E14 in some ways comparable in others.

reputable supplier like RS or Element14   

[sainter]

Having a few good kits is a good way to get a wide assortment of values but only maybe 10 or 25 of each.

For the more commonly used values I don't see a big advantage of buying full reels since for cheap passives like resistors the reel capacities are often at least 2500 pieces, sometimes 3000, 5000, or 10000 pieces.  Although that may be a lifetime supply, as has been said, there are also concerns about the lifetime longevity of the solderability, the tape adhesive remaining fixed to the reel, and bulky storage, and so on that make it less convenient and more risky to have reels you expect not to use for more than 10 years.

Reel of 5000 1% tolerance resistors (VISHAY) cost around 6 $, 200 no name resistors supposedly 1% is around 1,5 $.  That's why I see sense of buying a reel of few most used components. And when you have more of those, you can use them more often. And even if you use 1/5 of them and they get oxidized and unusable, you still win.

Thank you for the list of recommended manufacturers.

[rstofer]

I usually buy parts for the project and extras for stock.  I don't know that I would extend that idea to reel quantities but I do have a reel of 0.1 ufd ceramics (0805).  Actually, storing the excess on a reel probably makes more sense than the endless baggies I have laying around that I can never find.  Reels are a little harder to misplace.

I would still use the approach of buying for the project rather than ordering values I may never use.  I do have a capacitor and resistor kit from Jameco and they are quite handy.  I refill the drawers from parts I over-order.