“Leave the High Service Distribution to us”

Above: Dave Doherty, President of Digi-Key Electronics, in front of the new Product Distribution Center

Last month, Digi-Key Electronics celebrated the ribbon cutting of its Product Distribution Center expansion (PDCe), expanding the company’s headquarters’ footprint by 2.2 million square feet for a combined total of more than 3 million square feet. The new facility allows Digi-Key to pick, pack and ship nearly three times the previous daily average of 27,000 packages.

The new facility is nearly fully automated, the only task that is truly done by hand is the actual picking of parts. The PDCe features two primary conveyor systems to provide redundancy in the case of a breakdown and provide opportunities for future growth. There are over 27 miles of automated conveyor belt in the new facility, and an average order will travel more than 3,200 feet inside the building.

The opening of the facility comes at a time of record growth for the company – Digi-Key wrapped up 2021 growing faster than ever before with a 65% growth rate, and bookings in 2022 are up more than 25% over last year. Since construction began in 2018, Digi-Key has added 1,500 suppliers and 1.5 million part numbers to their inventory.

Top view of Digi-Key Electronics Product Distribution Center Expansion (PDCe)
Top view of Digi-Key Electronics Product Distribution Center Expansion (PDCe)

According to Dave Doherty, President of Digi-Key, last year the company has reached  more than 857,000 customers, including 335,000 new customers across 180 countries. I a message to Techtime, he said that the new 204,400 square meter PDCe, “will dramatically increase the amount of space available for storing existing and new products.

“We have developed an in-house automation system: The most common format in which we ship broken pack quantity is with “cut tape.”  Our process today is approximately 30 picks per hour (PPH). The new proprietary system achieves 300+ picks per hour. We have also developed a way to print key information on the back of the tape, enabling engineers to better organize their components, giving them access to the Digi-Key Traceability portal and the ability to look up additional information in real-time.”

Strong Digital Enhancements

“Our customers want to self-serve, self-quote and easily check availability, and to manage their bill of materials (BOM) and share it with others. Now they can now do all this and more with our myLists tool. Today, Digi-Key’s Marketplace is averaging more than 235,000 visitors a day. Our suppliers continue to leverage this important resource to extend some of their products that don’t naturally fit into their own shop – a good example would be larger, bulkier items like test and measurement equipment that may not make sense to ship twice, once into Digi-Key and then again to the customer.”

Global Fulfillment Experts

“In 2020, we introduced Fulfilled by Digi-Key, our warehouse and logistics center program where we store, pick, pack, and ship our supplier partners’ products globally. What do our Fulfilled by Digi-Key investments look like? Well, we’ve got a couple of CRJ aircraft down the road from our warehouse, ready to fly to Memphis and Louisvillewo of the largest distribution hubs in the United States, every night.

“Our industry moves quickly – don’t get left behind trying to figure out the complexities of selling and shipping products around the world. Focus on what you do best – and leave the high service distribution to us.”

QuickLogic has Joined Digi-Key Marketplace

Digi-Key Electronics, announced that it has secured a global partnership with QuickLogic Corporation through the Digi-Key Marketplace to offer their range of low power, multi-core MCU, FPGAs and embedded FPGAs, voice and sensor processing. QuickLogic is a fabless semiconductor company that embraces open source FPGA tools through their QuickLogic Open Reconfigurable Computing (QORC) initiative.  QuickLogic products are supported by many popular open source software tools such as Zephyr, FreeRTOS, SymbiFlow and Renode.

“QuickLogic products are optimized for ultra-low power consumption, making them ideal for IoT and consumer mobile applications,” said Anissa Lauer, senior product manager – Marketplace for Digi-Key. “In addition, the Basic Edition of the Analytics Toolkit from QuickLogic’s subsidiary, SensiML®, is already available at Digi-Key.”

The product portfolio includes:

EOS S3 MCU Sensor Processing Platform – With the integrated Arm Cortex-M4F MCU and embedded FPGA (eFPGA) core. It is supported by an easy-to-use, low-cost dev kit and open source software toolchains (Zephyr, FreeRTOS) as well as QuickLogic’s FPGA user tools.

EOS S3 Voice + Sensor Hub – Supports concurrent sensor processing with voice recognition.

EOS S3-AI – An all-inclusive low power solution and development environment to economically incorporate the benefits of AI in endpoint applications.

QuickFeather Development Kit – QuickFeather is small, Feather compatible, inexpensive, and fully supported by open source tools. With a Cortex®-M4F MCU and integrated eFPGA allows fully open source hardware and software.

Qomu Development Kit – Includes an extremely low power embedded processor and low power FPGA technology. The tiny board plugs straight into USB Type-A ports, making it possible to design anywhere.

For more information about QuickLogic, click Digi-Key Marketplace

Digi-Key is Official Raspberry Pi Authorized Distributor

Digi-Key Electronics announced that it is an official Raspberry Pi authorized distributor and will carry the full line of Raspberry Pi products. “With more than 36 million platforms sold, Raspberry Pi has become a go-to solution for everything from rapid prototyping to production ready designs.”

Raspberry Pi’s full line of products includes low-cost, high-performance computers and development boards designed to help users of all levels with computing and digital making. Raspberry Pi has been adopted across the board from students and makers to startups and established OEMs as a leading provider of low-cost, high-performance computers that people us to learn, solve problems, and create solutions.

“We have continued to see a huge acceleration in the use of Raspberry Pi products across a wide range of industrial applications, so we are very excited to add Digi-Key as an authorized distributor focused on serving the industrial market for us globally,” said Mike Buffham, chief commercial officer at Raspberry Pi. “Digi-Key will stock the complete range of Raspberry Pi products, including the recently released Compute Module 4 range (photo above), which we believe is ideally suited to Digi-Key’s global customers.”

About Digi-Key Electronics

Digi-Key Electronics, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is an authorized global, full-service distributor of electronic components, and provides access to unlimited adjacent products and technologies through their online Marketplace. They offer more than 11.5 million components, with over 2.6 million in stock and available for immediate shipment, from over 1,500 quality name-brand manufacturers.

For more information visit www.digikey.com and on FacebookTwitterYouTubeInstagram, and LinkedIn.

For Raspberry Pi Products: Digi-Key – Raspberry Pi

Digi-Key Virtual Event: Innovation during COVID-19

Digi-Key Electronics will bring together innovators and suppliers from across EMEA on Thursday, November 19 at 14.00 p.m. CET for a virtual event focused on enabling new ideas in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The keynote event will feature business updates from president of Digi-Key, Dave Doherty (photo above).

It will also include a market business development update from Ian Wallace, director of EMEA business development; and a roundtable discussion with Wallace, Hermann Reiter, senior director of global strategic program development and EMEA supplier development and Stephane Ratelet, international API champion at Digi-Key, and moderated by Johann Wiesböck, Editor-in-chief for ELEKTRONIKPRAXIS.

“We’re excited to connect with our customers and suppliers in this virtual format, to provide them with updates on our business, as well as focus on the specific European market and how 2020 has changed and shaped the market landscape,” said Ian Wallace. “This year has imposed radical changes on our industry.”

About Digi-Key Electronics

Digi-Key Electronics, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is an authorized global, full-service distributor of electronic components, and provides access to unlimited adjacent products and technologies through their online Marketplace. They offer more than 11 million components, with over 2.6 million in stock and available for immediate shipment, from over 1,300 quality name-brand manufacturers.

For more information visit www.digikey.com and on FacebookTwitterYouTubeInstagram, and LinkedIn.

Registration is free. More information: EMEA Virtual Keynote Event

 

Digital Streamlining of Procurement Costs

Photo above: Digi-Key warehouse in THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minnesota, USA

Digi-Key Electronics announced that it now offers a free eBook on the benefits of implementing Application Programming Interface (API) solutions, and a new ROI calculator to see the return on investment that implementing APIs can deliver. Digi-Key’s APIs provide a complete digital platform to automate and streamline procurement processes while providing real-time product information.

The APIs are free to use, and digitally connect customers’ systems with the Digi-Key system to provide automated, real-time product search, price and availability, product change notifications and more. Digi-Key estimates that customers who have utilized its API have seen an average savings of $50,000-$100,000.

“Speed and access to information and data are critical in all forms of electronic product design and procurement,” said Nathan Pray, senior digital product owner for Digi-Key. “Customers using Digi-Key’s API solutions save time so they can bring products to market faster and more efficiently, which boosts revenue.” An example of the APIs benefit was brought by Fremont, Calif.-based Sonic Manufacturing Technologies.

Sonic automated 50% of its purchasing activity

Sonic provides in-house board layout, prototyping and New Product Introduction through full production in as little as five to 10 days. Every week, Sonic orders about 1 million parts to support its production line. Using Digi-Key’s APIs and cloud-based procurement platform, Sonic has been able to automate 50% of its purchasing activity without adding staff.

Using Digi-Key’s APIs and cloud-based platform, Sonic’s cost to place an order (total landed cost) was reduced from a previous $40 to a current $9. While not every company will achieve 60% savings, even 20 to 30% savings on procurement costs of $400,000 each year will result in significant savings. For more information on Digi-Key’s API solutions, visit: Digi-Key API Solutions resources page.

Global High Service Distributor of ON Semiconductor

Lately, Digi-Key Electronics was named ON Semiconductor’s Global High Service Distributor for 2019. The Top 2019 High Service Distribution Partner Award honors the distributor that led the channel in digital marketing initiatives and sales of ON Semiconductor’s products. Digi-Key was recognized for partnering in inventory management and scoring highly on overall process excellence. Approximately 60 percent of  ON Semiconductor’s business results from distribution sales, and distribution remains the fastest channel to market.

Headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., Digi-Key Electronics is an authorized global distributor of electronic components, offering more than 10 million products, with over 2.2 million in stock and available for immediate shipment, from over 800 manufacturers. Digi-Key also provides online resources: datasheets, articles, EDA and design tools, reference designs, videos and multimedia libraries. Technical support is available 24/7 via email, phone or webchat.

For additional information:  www.digikey.com and on FacebookTwitterYouTubeInstagram, and LinkedIn.

Digi-Key Brings Interactive Booth to Embedded World 2020

Digi-Key Electronics plans to have interactive and unique technical demonstrations in their booth area, as well as more traditional games and giveaways, during Embedded World 2020 on Feb. 25-27, 2020, in Nuremberg, Germany.The company is also an official sponsor of Student Day on Feb. 27, when 1,000 final-year engineering students from around the world will gather to meet potential employers.

Digi-Key’s demonstrations will feature Digi-Key’s IoT Studio, IoT sensor technology, infrared devices, board level solutions, value-added design tools and augmented reality. Some of the themes will include: Systems and solutions created by the Digi-Key applications engineering team, Project-based solutions that highlight how using the DK IoT Studio has evolved rapid prototyping with both ease and speed of design.

The company will demonstrate many types of solutions, from Scheme-it (Digi-Key’s back-of-the-napkin design editor) to KiCad (the leading open source EDA design environment). The company will show its customer assistance tools, including: TechForum (online community with a direct pipeline to its technical support team), eeWiki (a broad source of technical knowledge driven and supported by Digi-Key’s application engineering team), io (project-based solutions to help designers get a jump start on rapid prototyping) and 24/7 Telephone and chat support.

Visit Digi-Key at Embedded World in Hall 4A, booth 633.

To learn more about Embedded World: https://www.embedded-world.de/en.

Digi-Key Electronics, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is an authorized global, full-service distributor of electronic components, offering more than 10 million products, with over 2.2 million in stock and available for immediate shipment, from over 800 quality name-brand manufacturers.

Digi-Key also offers a wide variety of online resources such as EDA and design tools, datasheets, reference designs, instructional articles and videos, multimedia libraries, and much more. Technical support is available 24/7 via email, phone and webchat. Additional information and access to Digi-Key’s broad product offering can be found by visiting www.digikey.com and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

 

Digi-Key Secured Global Distribution Agreement with Directed Energy

Digi-Key Electronics from Minn., USA, had signed an exclusive global distribution partnership with Directed Energy Inc. (DEI) from Colorado. DEI provides ready-to-use modules primarily to drive laser diodes but that can be used wherever a high voltage or high current pulse is required in scientific, industrial and commercial applications.

“Now, as a Digi-Key partner, we are excited to know that our pulsed laser diode driver and high voltage pulse modules will offer that same problem-solving value to designers and engineers around the world and in a wide array of industries,” said Stephen Krausse (photo above), president and owner of Directed Energy.

“We are excited to partner with Directed Energy and offer their ready-to-use modules to our global customer base,” said David Stein, vice president of global supplier management for Digi-Key. “Directed Energy has an impressive lineup of off-the-shelf modules that provide high-quality pulses of high current and/or high voltage for a variety of applications, from LiDAR to ADAS, laser diode characterization, precision measurement, and physics and scientific experimentation.”

DEI's PCO-7115 High Speed Laser Diode Driver Module
DEI’s PCO-7115 High Speed Laser Diode Driver Module

Creating a high-quality electrical pulse is challenging, whether that’s a high current pulse designed to drive a laser diode, or a high voltage pulse designed for the operation of deflection grids or for beam steering. Directed Energy has been designing and selling precision pulsers since was founded in 1987. For more information about Directed Energy, Inc. and their range of products, visit their Supplier Center page on the Digi-Key website.

About Digi-Key Electronics

Digi-Key Electronics, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is an authorized global, full-service distributor of electronic components, offering more than 9 million products, with over 1.7 million in stock and available for immediate shipment, from over 800 manufacturers. Digi-Key also offers online resources such as EDA and design tools, datasheets, reference designs, instructional articles and videos in its multimedia libraries. Additional information can be found at www.digikey.com.