Obsolescence
Examine economics
The recent economic downturn has induced lower stock levels as manufacturers throughout the supply chain are avoiding purchasing commitments. The cyclical nature of the electronics market is well understood and most OEMs will have experienced component allocation in the past, which equates to short-term obsolescence. Purchasing confidence is crucial in this case. By placing scheduled orders, distributors have the commitment necessary to invest in a buffer stock, thereby helping their customers overcome short-term obsolescence issues.
This can be particularly important in the high-reliability
market, where manufacturers’ answer to lower volumes shipped is to simply increase the unit cost and impose higher minimum order quantities.
Monitor eco pressure
An example of environmental impact is the move towards 'greener', energy-saving products. This might not sound too threatening, but when companies increase the rate of innovation to design more energy efficient components, it means that older products are being replaced at a faster rate, so components may go obsolete quicker. This is a particular problem for COTS power supplies and power components where there is pressure on the electronics industry to reduce the energy consumption of devices.
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Political factors are particularly relevant to companies working in the military/defence sector since many contracts originate with governmental bodies. Political decisions have wider ramifications than cancelled orders. If a very large order is scrapped it can lead to component obsolescence where there is no other major application available to sustain the part.
Learn about legislation
Legislation can be an important aspect to consider when drawing up an obsolescence plan. A prime example is the impact of RoHS legislation.While the aerospace market is exempt due to extended product lifecycles and elevated temperatures, many manufacturers have moved to providing RoHS compliant products only.Most have adopted the
annealed 100 per cent matt tin lead finish, which is now being used increasingly in aerospace applications. However there is still some debate over the probability of ‘tin whisker growth’ using a lead finish, which remains a real problem.
Eliminate counterfeits
The ethical element is addressed by the growing problem of component counterfeiting. Solid State Supplies has experience of customers using non-franchised distributors supplying components that appeared counterfeit. In one particular instance, a CEMdeveloping a safety critical system on an aerospace application had sufficient concern about the quality of components sourced through a non-franchised distributor that it chose to migrate the design to the latest version of the component in question. As a franchised distributor, Solid State Supplies was able to supply the parts with manufacturer's approval, thereby avoiding any counterfeit issues.
Buyers in the military/aerospace sector are generally well
versed in obsolescence issues – they need to be because of their particular requirements. All sectors of the electronics market however, including those using COTS devices, should appreciate the importance of an in-house policy against all forms of obsolescence. Short-term (un)availability and extended lead times may be an effect of the prevailing economic climate, but they can often be far worse than component obsolescence, which is often accompanied by a ‘last time to buy’ order, giving manufacturers time to migrate their design to an alternative solution.
Choosing to source components fromthe greymarket when
supplies run low introduces the possibility of counterfeit problems, putting greater pressure on engineering departments to qualify parts sourced through a less reliable supply chain. The best way to avoid this type of uncertainty is to use a franchised ormanufacturer authorised distributor with experience of sourcing components for high reliability applications.
Considering the Steeple framework helps identify external factors that can influence obsolescence. Solid State Supplies believes that being aware of these issues, and engaging with franchised distribution partners, can help companies in all sectors develop an effective plan against obsolescence.
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