News: Rochester Electronics
Sustaining legacy systems in a rapidly evolving market
Rochester’s proven approach to obsolescence and critical component continuity W
hen maintaining legacy systems, one of the most common questions we hear from customers is: “Can you rebuild this?”
In most cases, the answer is a confident “Yes”, backed by our proven processes and deep technical expertise.
Rochester Electronics consistently invests in and develops proactive strategies for the components and raw materials used in original product designs to ensure ongoing support for legacy systems. The processes, tooling, storage conditions, and supplier relationships are vital for maintaining part viability. We aim to minimise customer risk by treating obsolescence as a strategic discipline that includes component lifecycle management, tooling preservation, inventory storage, and customer communication.
Component obsolescence is a top priority for our customers, and rightfully so. However, even a strategic Last-Time-Buy (LTB) can fail if parts are stored improperly or if manufacturing tooling is no longer available during a production lull. An effective obsolescence strategy must include proper material storage and maintenance of tooling continuity.
The silent obsolescence risk: manufacturing tooling that vanishes Manufacturing tooling is usually owned by the customer and managed by the supplier. When a package hasn’t been ordered in 24 to 36 months, suppliers may scrap or repurpose tooling without notice, leading to significant unexpected rebuild costs, delays, and potentially a broken customer contract. Rochester Electronics has implemented a structured, cross-functional process for managing component and tooling lifecycles, encompassing procurement, engineering, and operations. We monitor component history, identify parts lacking a second source, and routinely review PCNs and EOL notifications. Furthermore, if a tool remains unused for 24-36 months, we evaluate whether to place a maintenance order to prevent potential loss. For legacy semiconductor packages like CERDIP, PDIP, QFP, Ceramic Flat Pack, CQFP,
6 September 2025
Side-brazed DIPs, CPGA, and custom ceramic hybrids, specialised tooling is essential for maintaining continuity. However, these tools are often overlooked until it is too late. When it comes to tooling and obsolescence risk, hermetic and plastic packages present different challenges. Hermetic packages often depend on expensive specialised tooling, which carries a higher risk of being scrapped during production lulls to free up space or reduce overhead costs for suppliers. The lead times and costs can become very significant. In contrast, plastic packages like PBGA, QFP, or QFN use more standardised, high- throughput tooling. Progressive stamping dies can be used for high-volume programs, but most tooling for plastic packages involves chemical etching masks. These support lower volume programs and only require design and mask sets for tooling to stay active, with less impact on cost and lead time. Rochester’s strategy is to maintain the tooling’s viability. We monitor tooling health through a structured review cycle. For critical packages, we: Place low-volume “maintenance orders” to ensure tool viability.
Negotiate storage and retention agreements with our key suppliers.
Maintain a tooling registry tied to part numbers.
Storage isn’t logistics. It’s risk management.
Strategic inventory is another crucial aspect of obsolescence management. Rochester intentionally stores components for long-term demand in critical programs, using:
Nitrogen or dry cabinet storage for moisture- sensitive components and gold brazed ceramic packages.
Strict FIFO inventory rotation and shelf-life monitoring.
Reinspection protocols for stock over 12 months old.
Controlled repackaging with updated desiccants and humidity indicators when needed.
When storing high-value legacy components Components in Electronics
such as gold preforms, hermetic lids, specialty passives, and brazed packages, controlling the environment is essential. Poor storage can turn a proactive Last-Time-Buy (LTB) into scrap or, worse, cause materials to degrade, which can affect performance in high- reliability applications. Regular inspections of long-term stock and digitised storage data make risk reviews quicker and easier.
Customer alignment: share the risk, share the strategy
In legacy programs such as aerospace and defence, customer collaboration is critical. Programs can falter when end users assume parts will always be available or don’t realise their build relies on tooling from a supplier that is exiting the market.
At Rochester, it is standard practice to communicate and engage with our customers to help provide reliable long-term forecasts by: Communicating risks to our customers through PCNs and obsolescence status during customer reviews.
Offering alternate storage or “vaulted inventory” solutions based on forecasted needs.
Involving customers in last-time buy planning, considering real lead-time and tooling constraints.
The key takeaway: foresight is a competitive advantage
In high-reliability sectors, simply “having the part” is not sufficient. Customers need
the tooling, testing, storage conditions, and organisational discipline to keep parts viable long-term.
Legacy systems can only be as resilient as the supply chain that supports them. By integrating proactive storage practices, tooling retention plans, and transparent customer communication, Rochester Electronics not only extends part availability but also extends program life and preserves performance, reliability, and trust. As a licensed semiconductor
manufacturer, Rochester has manufactured over 20,000 device types. With over 12 billion die in stock, Rochester has the capability to manufacture over 70,000 device types.
For over 40 years, in partnership with over 70 leading semiconductor manufacturers, Rochester has provided our valued customers with a continuous source of critical semiconductors. Rochester offers a full range of manufacturing services including design services, wafer storage, wafer processing, assembly services, test services, and analytical services and reliability testing.
To find out more, visit:
www.rocelec.com
www.cieonline.co.uk
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