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More bad news regarding chips

John Auer

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https://www.autonews.com/suppliers/...sas-suspend-output-japan-semiconductor-plants

Now, following a fire at Ford chip supplier Renesas’ plant in Japan last year, the same company has been forced to suspend operations at three of its Japanese plants after a major earthquake ravaged the area earlier this week, according to Automotive News.
Just another reason why we need to move chip production stateside. Besides it being an inconvenience, it's a national security issue.
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Tempyy

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i don’t think ford would announce today that they’re scheduling broncos next week for 5/9 if they were going to have a chip shortage
 

indio22

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North7

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widnere12

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dbeyers

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I saw something very interesting that made me feel very lucky that we got our Bronco and it only had a week+ stay on Ice Mountain.

Apparently Taiwan makes the world's most microchips, but in order to do so, they rely on elemental Neon to do so - of which, 50-70% of the global supply comes from Ukraine. Which has completely ceased production in the face of the brutal Russian invasion and war. So, eventually, they will not have the material needed to make microchips - for cars or anybody else.
"According to research firm Techcet, Ukraine supplies more than 90% of the U.S.’s semiconductor-grade neon, a gas integral to the lasers used in the chip-making process, while Russia supplies 35% of the U.S.’s palladium supply, a rare metal that can be used to create semiconductors."

"Some 45% to 54% of the world’s semiconductor-grade neon, critical for the lasers used to make chips, comes from two Ukrainian companies, according to Reuters calculations."

The neon is used in the helium-neon lasers that are used to etch the chip material - I don't know how much is consumed during the process. I have always thought of lasers as sealed systems.
 
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dbeyers

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i don’t think ford would announce today that they’re scheduling broncos next week for 5/9 if they were going to have a chip shortage
Agreed, I assume Ford schedules based on what they believe will be available during that week; undoubtably things don't work out that way sometimes better, mostly worse and people get pushed ... or God hates us, take your pick.
 

North7

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"According to research firm Techcet, Ukraine supplies more than 90% of the U.S.’s semiconductor-grade neon, a gas integral to the lasers used in the chip-making process, while Russia supplies 35% of the U.S.’s palladium supply, a rare metal that can be used to create semiconductors."

"Some 45% to 54% of the world’s semiconductor-grade neon, critical for the lasers used to make chips, comes from two Ukrainian companies, according to Reuters calculations."

The neon is used in the helium-neon lasers that are used to etch the chip material - I don't know how much is consumed during the process. I have always thought of lasers as sealed systems.
The gas tube is sealed inside the laser.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium–neon_laser

GreenHeNeTubeA1.jpg
 

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Snowdogyyz

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Don’t know if it’s chip related or not, but there are a lot of broncos, particularly badlands, and including mine that are stuck “in production” with ETA’s getting pushed out and zero updates on why. Mine was “produced” on 3/9, modules popped, 4 digit tear tag, yet ford says it’s still in production and not released for shipping. My ETA was 3/30- now being told it’s finished build date is 3/30 and then it’ll be moved to awaiting shipment status. Many in the build week before mine are seeing the same. So if it’s not waiting on chips, what’s it waiting on? It’s obvious that all the parts are not available on certain trims when they start building.
 

North7

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Don’t know if it’s chip related or not, but there are a lot of broncos, particularly badlands, and including mine that are stuck “in production” with ETA’s getting pushed out and zero updates on why. Mine was “produced” on 3/9, modules popped, 4 digit tear tag, yet ford says it’s still in production and not released for shipping. My ETA was 3/30- now being told it’s finished build date is 3/30 and then it’ll be moved to awaiting shipment status. Many in the build week before mine are seeing the same. So if it’s not waiting on chips, what’s it waiting on? It’s obvious that all the parts are not available on certain trims when they start building.
Ford pushing back dealer allocations until late May; 100,000 units lost as suppliers struggle to deliver parts
Company says
37 suppliers failed to provide parts as scheduled; Ford forecasts 1.66M retail sales in 2022 as dealer inventories suffer.

https://www.autonews.com/nada/ford-...late-may-100000-units-lost-suppliers-struggle

Ford has lost 100,000 units of production due to 37 suppliers failing to provide parts as scheduled, the automaker told dealers in a meeting at the NADA Show here, according to three people present.
 

dbeyers

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North7

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22OBX

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This one seems to mostly affect Toyota, Honda and Nissan.... Hopefully nothing for Ford and Bronco line
Just another reason why we need to move chip production stateside. Besides it being an inconvenience, it's a national security issue.
Did anyone read my update earlier. False alarm.

BUT UPDATED this A.M. - Better News

Critical semiconductor maker Renesas Electronics Corp. said it had resumed partial test-run production at two of three plants near the quake zone. Those plants, its Naka and Takasaki factories, should reach full pre-earthquake production capacity on March 23.
The third Renesas plant that was affected, its Yonezawa factory, restarted all production processes on March 18 and expects to return to normal operational levels on March 20.
All three plants, which make chips for the automotive sector, were automatically shut down when the quake struck. Any long-term interruption at Renesas could have broadsided a global automotive industry already reeling from the worldwide semiconductor shortage.
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