Distribution Special Section

摘要

While the term "distribution" might seem pretty simple, it really encompasses an array of issues within the industry. For this special distribution section of ECN, we surveyed our readers about four topics that are important to the distributors, consumers, and manufacturers. We start our journey by diving into the controversial topic with an issue that's hitting multiple industries: conflict materials (page 23). We found that more than 60 percent of engineers said they knew what conflict materials were, but about 80 percent felt it was important to keep them out of components. From a social morality perspective, the responses tended more towards an open and honest discussion about the implications of using conflict materials. Conflict materials are those mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo and surrounding countries under violent and bloody circumstances. They mostly consist of tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold. Since many of these materials are also used in components and increasing regulations are putting the burden on companies to track where materials are coming from, it's a topic of concern for many engineers.