INDUSTRY NEWS
TECHNOLOGICAL OBSOLESCENCE IS A ‘PERSISTENT CHALLENGE’ FOR UK MANUFACTURERS, REPORT FINDS
ackling Obsolescence & Electronics Challenges in Industrial Manufacturing. Based on extensive research with nearly 600 industry professionals, the report offers strategic insights and practical frameworks for tackling obsolescence in embedded electronics, components, and software systems. Conducted between
ByteSnap Design has released a new report entitled Futureproofing Manufacturing: T
February and March 2025, the research was released to coincide with World IoT Day on 9 April, acknowledging the increasing role Industrial IoT (IIoT) plays in adding complexity to obsolescence challenges across the manufacturing sector. The findings reveal a critical disconnect in the UK manufacturing ecosystem: while 88% of manufacturers recognise the need for specialised electronics expertise to manage obsolescence, 81% report difficulty in finding reliable partners with the right capabilities. “Our research uncovered that technological
obsolescence has evolved from an occasional operational hiccup into a persistent strategic challenge for UK manufacturers,” said Dunstan Power, director at ByteSnap Design and author of the whitepaper. “What’s particularly striking is
following component discontinuation can exceed £250,000 in complex systems. • Proactive management reduces costs by up to 80% compared to reactive approaches. Manufacturers adopting structured strategies are better able to maintain continuity and avoid last- minute design compromises. • 89% of respondents consider AI integration important for future competitiveness. AI, often in tandem with connected hardware platforms, enables predictive maintenance, lifecycle forecasting, and quality control across electronics-heavy environments. • 61% cite cost constraints as their main barrier to technology adoption. The report explores the tension between modernising legacy electronic systems –
the electronics expertise gap. Despite strong demand for knowledge in component lifecycle management and embedded systems, many firms are left without adequate support. This bottleneck could delay product innovation and compromise long-term competitiveness. “Those who invest in robust obsolescence management now will be best placed to harness emerging technologies like AI – often deployed alongside IIoT systems – for greater efficiency, system insight, and resilience.” Key findings from the report include: • 88% of manufacturers encounter technological obsolescence at least annually, with 27% facing these challenges quarterly. Redesign costs
WILLIAM HUGHES EXPANDS AEROSPACE QUALITY PROGRAMME
Following the successful deployment of an in-depth quality assurance programme mandated by a major global aeroengine customer, William Hughes is expanding the project’s impressive operational outcomes and best practices to other areas of its manufacturing operations. “Our aeroengine customer gave us a
structure and planning framework based on its preferred quality methodology,” explains Nick Allsop, production supervisor, at William Hughes. “This was fully implemented, used regularly and then assessed, and resulted in the cell being awarded a silver-level quality rating, with a suggestion from the customer that the team applies for the gold standard.” QA has always sat at the heart of William Hughes, but a formalised, transferable program makes it easier to compare and contrast with industry best practice. Indeed, buy-in for the wider deployment was made significantly easier when other manufacturing cells witnessed the operational benefits from even the simplest elements of the programme: shadow boards for each machine and activity meaning that tools are always in the right place, tool boxes with foam inserts ensuring each tool is replaced correctly, floor markings and railings defining exactly where machinery is positioned.
6 DESIGN SOLUTIONS APRIL 2025
through IoT, automation, or redesign – and the realities of constrained capital budgets. • 72% of manufacturers express a need for upskilling and training programmes. This demand is especially acute in advanced electronics, embedded systems, and AI – fields where knowledge gaps pose significant risks as experienced engineers retire. The report also highlights the wider
ripple effect of obsolescence on connected systems. When a key component or module becomes unavailable, it can render entire product lines unsupportable.
www.bytesnap.com UNIVERSITY OF
GLASGOW TO BECOME NANO-ANALYSIS HUB
UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has provided the University of Glasgow with £5.3m in new funding to support the establishment of an on-campus atom probe tomography (APT) facility. The facility – the Space Nanomaterials
Allsop continues: “We took the customer’s
framework and complemented it with a 3C methodology (concern, cause and countermeasure) and a 5S lean philosophy (sort, set in order, shine, standardise and sustain), both of which combine to create the new company-wide best practice.” He added: “When the benefits start to shine through, people soon realise that effort expended at the front end has significantly positive long-term payback going forwards. It is also a continuous journey of self-improvement as we look for new opportunities, all of which will be reflected in the higher levels of quality, products, service and support that we can deliver to all our customers.”
www.wmhughes.co.uk
Atom Probe, or SNAP – will be the UK’s only facility to offer access to next-generation atom probe equipment and will be the only atom probe worldwide to specialise in space science challenges. Atom probe tomography is a powerful analysis tool which allows researchers to examine the composition of materials down to the atomic level. It uses an ultra-precise laser to shear off individual atoms, which are then pulled into a detector and analysed for information about both their chemical composition and their original position in the material. The facility will help scientists to see how
materials developed to withstand future space missions react to long-term exposure to the vacuum, along with extreme changes in temperature, and exposure to harsh radiation.
www.gla.ac.uk
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