The launch of a new production packaging service in France, Germany, Italy and the UK has been announced by RS Components. The new venture allows customers to order bespoke product quantities packed in reels, tubes, trays and continuous strips for placement directly into automated production equipment.

Users will be able to order the exact quantity of components they need for their production runs, at no extra cost. The service is available on 40,000 products from 150 manufacturers across the semiconductor, passive, electro-mechanical and connector product ranges.

Production packaging is our newest service, increasing our support of electronic design and production customers, said Klaus Goeldenbot, general manager, RS Components. This significant investment is part of an ongoing programme we are developing to help our customers bring new products to market quickly.

In addition to new packaging options, RS has introduced 500,000 lower prices on large order quantities while reducing existing prices by up to 35%. A dedicated customer quote line caters for tailored pricing to fulfil Bill-of-Material requests. Same day dispatch means customers can expect next-day delivery.

In stock and assembled to order in RS state-of-the-art warehouses, the packaging process follows high quality standards. Attention to detail, such as adequate leader tapes for reeled products, ensures components work correctly on installation.

The new service is particularly suited to meet our customers small batch production needs. It delivers a flexible, cost-effective solution so that customers can purchase the quantities they need for a particular project eliminating the need to hold stock or dispose of any surplus, said Richard Eden, market development manager for Electronics at RS.

The production packaging range is available online and is flagged for easy identification allowing customers to view packaging format, set the quantity required, check stock, and place orders online, says the company.