In the electronics industry, maintenance plays a crucial role in managing and extending a product’s life cycle. For us at Eletech, Head of the International Design Centers of Elemaster, R&D division of the Group, the Maintenance service plays a strategic role, and is one of our flagships; through a structured and analytical process, we work with the Customer to understand how to extend production life.
What is it all about?
A core principle of the Group is to increase the value of the product, not only in economic terms but also in terms of efficiency and adaptability. Through experience gained across multiple industries (also referred to as cross-fertilisation), Eletech identifies best practices and applies them to improve product design and effectiveness. Long-term planning during the conceptual stages of the project allows anticipation of future needs and adaptation to changing regulations, ensuring a robust and flexible product roadmap.
When the product goes into production, the Customer can choose to commission Eletech for maintenance on their product/design, leaving Eletech to manage design changes.
For a Customer-owned product that once placed on the market can no longer continue production because the components are no longer available, we go back to the design phase to solve obsolescence issues, this is what is known as change management or design change: re-qualifying the product to extend its production life.
Eletech follows a dedicated process to assess what is the best solution to extend the life of a product with the least possible impact in terms of cost and design.
Let’s see it in detail below:
Component and life cycle analysis – RISK assessment
The process begins with a careful analysis of the components currently used in the device. This list is evaluated both in terms of market availability and future prospects. Using international databases and Elemaster’s supplier base, the risks associated with component obsolescence are identified. The databases indicate whether the product is in or close to end of life while the suppliers themselves send advance alerts when the product is about to run out.
The Customer’s wish to extend the life of the product and for how many years is also considered, balancing the costs and benefits of corrective actions.
Obsolete Component Management Strategies – IMPACT Assessment
At this stage, a more detailed analysis is carried out.
when faced with the prospect of imminent obsolescence of a critical component, Eletech evaluates two main approaches:
– the stock purchase of that same component called ‘BUY’
– the re-design of the product also called ‘MAKE’.
The decision depends on the level of risk and the impact on the final product.
There are cases where a component may become obsolete in the short term but replacing that component is a particularly costly burden, for example, replacing a microcontroller running the software means completely redoing the product design and is an unmanageable cost and time.
If the component is a resistor, the risk is generally low.
At this point, an economic assessment is made based on the level of risk and impact, and a maintenance estimate is made.
Decision-making, redesign and replacement of obsolete components
Risk, impact and cost assessments guide the choice between ‘Make or Buy’. Once the decision has been made, the product redesign process begins. This involves a detailed analysis phase of the components to be replaced and the associated time and cost estimates. Change management ensures that the new design is efficiently integrated into existing production.
In this case, we speak of change management: we start with an outdated basic situation and do a redesign that is a version transferred to production. In other words, it is a matter of upgrading the product, returning it to production by extending the production life.
At this point, a redesign cycle starts that will be released after a series of prototyping and testing as if it were a mini-project, a small ‘change’ that delivers the new remanufactured/maintained device component list that is implemented in production. However, the decision on replacing obsolete devices with upgraded ones is left to the production itself. Typically, this transition takes place when the obsolete components in the warehouse have been completely exhausted.
This step-by-step approach enables a smooth and seamless transition to the new device version. It also ensures that each step in the process is carefully managed to avoid any problems or delays in production. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure a smooth transition to the new product version, while ensuring production continuity and Customer satisfaction.
Life cycle monitornig
After the initial assesment phase, in which the risks and options available for dealing with component obsolescence are assessed, the Customer may require a dedicated product life cycle monitoring service.
But what does this monitoring entail?
It is the constant monitoring of the market for new trends, changes in suppliers and potential obsolescence risks. This monitoring makes it possible to anticipate changes in the component landscape and to adapt procurement strategies accordingly.
In particular, component lifecycle monitoring becomes crucial to prevent shortage situations due to unforeseen events such as pandemics or global conflicts. By keeping constant track of the market and components, Eletech can anticipate and mitigate the risks of supply chain disruptions.
Assesment does not automatically lead to a Re-design or Buy phase, but Eletech may be asked to keep the market and component life of its products monitored.
If, on the other hand, a Re-design solution is to be pursued, the Customer may ask Eletech to keep the market monitored.
In summary, component lifecycle monitoring is a proactive service that aims to ensure production continuity and mitigate the risks associated with component obsolescence. Especially in today’s uncertain environment, this service becomes more and more essential to ensure company stability and competitiveness.
The manitenance service also allows Customers to outsource the change management process on dated products where engineering know-how has been lost, thus enabling Customers to focus their engineering teams on the development of new strategic products and innovative technologies.
Conclusion
In conclusion, maintenance in the electronics industry is not just a matter of replacing obsolete components, but a holistic strategy to optimise the service life of products and maximise their value over time. Through an analytical and proactive approach, Eletech is committed to meeting Customers’ needs and ensuring the competitiveness of their products on the global market.