The global complexity of material procurement

Another factor in material procurement when considering the use of non-standard sizes is where in the world the material originated.

In the United States, there are industry standard sizes of pipes and plates that are readily available in a variety of materials.

However, in today's global market, in vitro diagnostic devices (IVDs) designed (for example) in Germany and validated in the US are not uncommon, and most components are manufactured in Singapore, but other key components are manufactured in Europe.

Mergers and acquisitions can mean that one company may be making parts or components using drawings generated by another company on the other side of the world. This international melting pot of parts, specifications and materials also presents challenges in sourcing materials:

Suppliers in different parts of the world may use different codes to identify materials.

Drawings from different countries may use non-generic metallurgical type names.

The chemical composition of materials may be inconsistent across the globe.

Proprietary metals from specific manufacturers may not be universally available.

You can find some forms online that may help. However, there is no guarantee that they are accurate, and there is currently no unified source that can provide clear cross-references and translations for material dimensions, specifications, chemical composition, etc.

There are potential legal implications and safety and quality issues associated with such differences.

This means that you need to be vigilant when sourcing raw materials from different sources and regions of the world if small differences in material composition can have an impact on the functionality of the final part.

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