Obsolescence


EOL announcements plagued production of this haematology analysis equipment


EOL stratEgy is a LifE savEr


When a manufacturer of medical diagnostic equipment ran into difficulties finding components for continued manufacture, Rochester Electronics saved the day


Facing a critical semiconductor end-of-life event, a manufacturer ofmedical diagnostic equipmentmade a last- time buy fromthe originalmanufacturer. The purchase was expected to cover the lifetime of the company’s haematology analyser. Due to increased demand for this equipment however, the supply was depletedmore quickly than expected, forcing themanufacturer to find an alternative source for continued production and long-termsupport, possibly spanning decades.


When itwas facedwith a similar EOL situation in the past,


the company decided on a systemre-design. The direct cost of the re-designwas over amillion dollars. Additionalmoneys were lost (more difficult tomeasure) as the newdesignwas re-tested and re-qualified, engineering timewas re-directed fromother projects, general productionwas interrupted and personnel dealtwith delivery delays. The company suffered a significantmonetary loss, aswell as loss of internal forwardmomentumand public credibility. Tomakemattersworse, soon after production began again, the newcomponent, onwhich the re-designwas based,was notified as end-of-life.


With product quality and reliability critical, the greymarket was


not an option. The company decided to forecast the costs of a system re-design despite the unfavourable outcome it had experienced in the past with this solution. Even after optimising the re-design, it was determined that the expenses for board re-design, software re-design, engineeringman-hours andmonths of production downtimemeant this was not a cost effective solution.


Perfect partnership


At the time of the end-of-life announcement, the original component manufacturer entered into an agreementwith Rochester Electronics that allowed Rochester to acquire all the remaining finished devices aswell as processedwafers and die. Rochesterwas also given permission to use the same packaging and assembly houses thatwere originally used to create the device. Rochester completed a first-timemanufacturing build


38 | September 2010


Rochester willmanufacture a continuous supply for the projected ten-year life of the product


of the criticalmicroprocessor for themedicalOEM, including comprehensive testing and qualification of the part to ensure that the newparts equalled the originals in quality, performance and reliability.


A partnershipwith


Rochesterwas themost economical solution for the medical equipment manufacturer. Rochesterwill manufacture a continuous


supply of the component for the projected ten-year life of the product, or even longer if necessary. In addition, the company is assured that every part is 100 per cent guaranteed and authorised by the original manufacturer. A short-termre-design 'fix'would have cost the company amillion dollars plus the cost of newcomponents, not tomention various other related expenses and inconveniences.


Instead, the company was able to secure a continuous supply of


the component it needed for a fraction of that cost and will not experience delays in production or unexpected costs. Development, production and sales employees will be able tomove forward, maintaining the company’s reputation of quality and service.


For industries with long life cycles, Rochester provides an


economical solution: a continuingmanufacturing supply of 100 per cent guaranteed semiconductor devices. Inventory includes a large supply of silicon wafers, die and finished devices. In addition, Rochester’s design and technology engineering teamprovides complete silicon re-creation and replication services. Certified to ISO-9001:2000 and QMLMIL-PRF-38535, Rochester provides a comprehensive solution formature and discontinued components.


www.rocelec.com www.electronics-sourcing.eu


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