Farnell, an Avnet Company and global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions, is now offering fully customisable high-end IP67 electronics enclosure solutions from its private label brand Multicomp Pro. Using a unique and intuitive online tool available on Farnell’s website, customers can now create a custom enclosure in minutes, moving from prototype into full production from a single configuration.

IoT developments are growing exponentially as many companies look to tap into the benefits of the technology. Sourcing a suitable enclosure is often left until late in the new product design process which can present packaging challenges and impact performance. In addition to this, standard off-the-shelf enclosures are rarely suitable for mission critical IoT applications. Current enclosure options available to designers seldom offer the durability, robustness and protection required for the end applications. A cost effective, fast turnaround custom enclosure is the ideal solution for design engineers tasked with critical builds on a finite budget.

The online configuration typically takes around five minutes, saving engineers many hours of work sourcing approved components from multiple sources. Customers can now easily and efficiently source the required solution to support IoT and other mission critical applications used in Intelligent Transportation (ITS), connected vehicles (V2X, CV2X, RSU 4.1), rail track and tunnel monitoring, mobile security, smart cities and agriculture, and more.

Benefits of the Multicomp Pro customisable enclosure range now available from Farnell include:

• Quick quoting within 5 business days and delivery in less than four weeks.
• Use of standard or N Type IP67 antennas to enable GPS/GNSS, Wi-Fi, LTE, DSRC and LoRa.
• Access to a range of I/O modules including USB, Cat5, Cat6, SIM and power.
• mSmart-box enclosure solutions providing a reliable IP67, EN60950-22-Ready, modular concept specifically tailored to needs within days of initial contact.
• Enclosures are tough and hard-wearing, with integrated Gore® valves, Sur Tec 650 anti-corrosion coating and 100 per cent IP67 guaranteed.
• Customisation of colour, cable length and more.

Gareth James, Senior Product Manager, Private Label at Farnell, said: “This new offering demonstrates Farnell’s continued commitment to our customers in the IoT space and ensures we deliver valuable solutions that support the design process. We recognise that our customers all have different requirements, and we can now offer bespoke, unique enclosures that can be configured exactly to their needs in a matter of minutes. The quick and intuitive online customisation tool is the most recent in a long list of new engineering resources we have added to our online offering. Our Multicomp Pro range is recognised as the engineer’s choice because it represents market-leading value for money without comprising on quality. Adding custom enclosures to our range ensures customers have access to tailored solutions to achieve their designs at the low prices they expect from Multicomp Pro.”

Farnell’s Multicomp Pro brand provides reduced upfront and product-lifetime costs compared to other brands, making the range an ideal choice for equipping design and development labs, service facilities and educational establishments where budgets may be restricted. The range is also a suitable option for OEMs and CEMs seeking added value from sourcing lower cost, production-grade components. The Multicomp Pro range includes more than 60,000 products and is suitable for engineers at any level, with average savings of up to 30 per cent compared to branded products.

Custom enclosures are just the latest in a range of customisation services offered by Farnell, including custom cables and components, to make replacing obsolete or hard-to-find parts as easy as possible.

Multicomp Pro custom enclosures can be configured and ordered from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

Farnell, an Avnet Company and global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions, is donating over €22,000 to charity through its ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’ charitable initiative. This unique programme was supported by supplier partners Rohde & Schwarz, ROHM and Multicomp Pro. Visitors to the Farnell website were invited to nominate one of two chosen charitable organisations – the Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund or Plan International Ireland. Each charity received a donation of €1 for every nomination, as well as larger donations when customers bought featured products. In total, the charities received over €11,000 each.

Chris Breslin, President of Farnell’s global business, says: “We understand how critical it is to help those most vulnerable in our society and we are proud to have led this initiative to ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’. Thank you to our customers, who participated so enthusiastically in aid of two fantastic and deserving charities. I would also like to thank our partners ROHM Semiconductor, Rohde & Schwarz and the Multicomp Pro manufacturers, who generously supported the initiative.”

Sabrina Grassi, Director General, Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, says: “We would like to warmly thank Farnell for donating to the “Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund” for the World Health Organization, powered by the UN Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation. We are facing an unprecedented challenge with communities everywhere affected by the growing pandemic, and the world is coming together to combat COVID-19, bringing organisations and individuals together to help respond to this global outbreak. The outpouring of solidarity sparked by this shared challenge has been phenomenal. This donation has supported WHO’s response in leading and coordinating the global effort, while supporting countries to prevent, detect, and respond to the pandemic. On behalf of the “Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund”, Swiss Philanthropy Foundation is grateful for this support.”

Paul O’Brien, CEO at Plan International Ireland, said: “Thank you to Farnell for choosing Plan International Ireland as one of the recipient charities for the ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’ campaign. The funds raised are going to make a big difference to our education programmes in developing countries, especially for girls. After many months of prolonged closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools in developing countries are starting to reopen. Plan International Ireland are working hard in the communities that we support, helping to get schools ready to reopen safely; we have installed handwashing facilities at hundreds of schools and distributed thousands of facemasks and school supplies to students.”

Breslin continued: “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked to support those on the front-line, fighting this crisis. Together with supplier partners, we have ensured the delivery of essential supplies to customers manufacturing health care equipment such as ventilators and test equipment. We’ve also donated over €50,000 in 3D printing equipment to support the production of essential PPE across Europe and the rest of the world. We find ourselves in a new world, with a new normal, yet remain committed to our values, and delivering the service and support that our customers expect from us.”

For more information about Farnell’s ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’ initiative, visit https://uk.farnell.com/bettertomorrow.

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The charities supported by this campaign were:

• COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO), powered by the UN Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation - The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund provides direct support to WHO and partners to help countries prevent, detect, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO partners include UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness), UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and WFP (World Food Programme).

• Plan International Ireland – an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Farnell is specifically supporting the work of Plan International in educational programmes in West Africa.

Farnell, the Development Distributor, has launched a charitable initiative with support from supplier partners Rohde & Schwarz, ROHM and Multicomp Pro, seeking to ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’.

Visitors to the Farnell website until the middle of July can nominate one of two chosen charitable organisations who will then receive a donation from Farnell on their behalf. For every visitor to the Farnell site, Farnell will donate €1 to the chosen charity. Donations will be tracked by location and chosen charity, and results will be displayed on a real-time map.

Visitors will also be able to ‘boost’ the donation by purchasing products from the Rohde & Schwarz, ROHM and Multicomp Pro ranges. For every purchase made before the end of July, Farnell will donate an additional €1 for purchases of Multicomp Pro and ROHM products valued above €50, or €10 for purchases of Rohde & Schwarz valued €100 or more.

The charities supported by this campaign are:

• COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO), powered by the UN Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation - The COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund provides direct support to WHO and partners to help countries prevent, detect, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO partners include UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness), UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and WFP (World Food Programme).

• Plan International Ireland – an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Farnell is specifically supporting the work of Plan International in educational programmes in West Africa.

Chris Breslin, President of Farnell said: “As a global electronics business, we strive to make a positive impact wherever we can, from volunteering and fundraising to our recycling scheme which has saved over 100 tonnes of packaging going to landfill. As part of this initiative to ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’, we are working with supplier partners Rohde & Schwarz, ROHM and our private label brand Multicomp Pro to raise funds for two great charities. The donations to Plan International and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund will help support those most in need around the world right now. I hope that our customers will get involved by visiting the Farnell website.”

Farnell is supported by supplier partners Rohde & Schwarz, ROHM and Multicomp Pro.

Toshimitsu Suzuki, President of ROHM Semiconductor Europe says: “ROHM is always committed to making the world a better place to live, and thus Farnell’s ‘Make a Better Tomorrow Together’ charity campaign is fully endorsed. We are proud of being listed as one of the main partners for this campaign and do hope our contribution and the resulting revenue will provide relief to unnamed neighbours and friends who are hardest hit by the consequences of Covid-19.”

Bob Bluhm, Vice President of Value Instruments at Rohde & Schwarz said: “In difficult times like these, the importance of reaching out a helping hand, becomes even more apparent. We appreciate this initiative from our partner Farnell and are honoured to be able to support their fundraising efforts”

Visit farnell.com/bettertomorrow and fill out the form to let Farnell donate on your behalf.

Farnell, the Development Distributor, supports customers in the manufacturing and supply processes with its comprehensive range of products designed to protect electronic components from the damage caused by Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).

ESD can damage electronic components and products during manufacture, storage, shipping and installation. Often this damage cannot be detected by quality control inspections, test or burn-in and it can impact product quality and reliability. All customers within the supply chain, including Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Contract Electronic Manufacturers (CEMs), electronic and bench engineers, warehouses storing ESD sensitive devices and buyers of semiconductors and development kits, should take steps to prevent damage from ESD events throughout the manufacturing and supply cycle.

Farnell helps customers prevent all forms of ESD damage with an extensive catalogue featuring more than 2,000 products from leading suppliers such as SCS, DESCO, Multicomp Pro and more, all available for same day despatch. For engineers and manufacturers looking to protect against ESD build-up, top products have been compiled by Farnell’s in-house technical experts to offer customers a greatly simplified product selection process, whatever their ESD need.

Top products from Farnell’s extensive high-quality range include:

Antistatic Bags – Zip-Top Resealable Bag from Multicomp Pro

An essential product for any manufacturer or engineer seeking to insulate sensitive electronic components from the damage of ESD. These bags are designed with a static dissipative coating to prevent static build-up on the bag’s surface and protect the product inside.

Toe/Heel Grounders – Elastic Heel Grounder from SCS

For workers on the move, these elastic grounders feature a re-positionable 2-layer sole and 18-inch conductive ribbon providing a continuous path-to-ground to remove electrostatic charge from the body. This product is cost-effective and suitable for high volume use.

Dissipative Mats – 2-Layer Rubber Mat from Multicomp Pro

ESD preventive mats are designed to disperse electricity through the anti-static materials of which they are made, slowing the flow of ESD across the surface of the mat and neutralising it. With two layers of rubber protection, customers can be sure they are safe from ESD damage whilst handling electronic components during manufacturing or supply.

Earth Bonding – 1Mohm Resistor Plug from DESCO

An essential to provide a common ground point for ESD workstations, Earth Bonding plugs connect only to the earth. The live and neutral pins are replaced with insulated plastic pins, removing the threat of damage caused by a present static charge.

Ionisation – Desktop Ioniser from SIMCO-ION

Key to ESD protection and used to increase the conductivity of air. This increases the rate at which any static charge present in the vicinity is neutralised. SIMCO-ION’s lightweight, compact and quiet ioniser is unobtrusive and features an integrated heater for a warm air flow option.

James McGregor, Global Head of Test and Tools for Farnell says: “ESD causes invisible damage to electronic products, reducing their working life and causing expensive equipment failures and downtime. Farnell offers a very wide range of ESD protection products to support engineers, electronic designers and manufacturers with over 2,000 items in stock and available for same day despatch. These top products, recommended by our technical team, gives customers a head start in identifying must-have items from leading suppliers to prevent build-up of ESD and the subsequent damage it causes.”

Farnell offers customers 24/5 technical support from its dedicated team of in-house test and measurement specialists and provides free access to online resources, data sheets, application notes, videos and webinars.

Farnell’s ESD Protection Range including storage solutions, antistatic wrist straps and safety signs and labels is available from Farnell in EMEA and element14 in APAC.