Manage Component Obsolescence in SMT Assembly
Whether you’re buying light bulbs for your home or the components used to build a circuit board, technology advances rapidly and there’s always a chance that what you’ve chosen to use in your product will become obsolete. Fortunately, working with an electronic contract manufacturer that has obsolescence management systems in place can make the difference between a production delay and total business failure.
The main reason to have a plan for managing component obsolescence is that it allows companies to avoid production delays due to unavailable parts. This is a major concern for large original equipment manufacturers who produce at massive volumes over multiple production runs and require high-quality components that will not degrade over time. For example, if a critical line of resistors goes obsolete, it could cause a cell phone company to halt production until new supplies are found. This type of delay can cost millions and have a detrimental impact on a company’s bottom line.
Obsolescence can be managed by identifying risky components early in the design process and then incorporating alternative options into the Bill of Materials (BOM). This is easy enough with specialized software solutions such as Altium’s ActiveBOM that integrate into your smt assembly PCB design cycle to alert engineers to potential issues that may impact production.
How to Manage Component Obsolescence in SMT Assembly
In addition to enabling the inclusion of alternative parts, these tools can also facilitate the streamlined process of updating a BOM and requalifying existing products with a substitute component. This can help mitigate the need to redesign a circuit board, which is a significant undertaking with costly and lengthy manufacturing and validation testing.
Another way to deal with the issue of obsolescence is through supply chain planning. When a part is at risk of becoming obsolete, it’s important to work with an ECM that has a trusted network of vetted suppliers so they can purchase enough stock from these sources to meet production needs until the last call is issued. This will reduce the need to scour unconventional sources, which often carry more risks of counterfeit or low-quality replacement parts.
Passive components can also be more prone to obsolescence problems because of their small size and lead spacings. Handling these parts is challenging for humans, which can cause them to get mismarked or lost, leading to production delays. In addition, they can be difficult to inspect and test because of their size.
To address this issue, your electronics contract manufacturer should have a centralized location for keeping track of these passives and ensuring that they’re properly marked and labeled. They should also be able to maintain an inventory of the legacy versions of these components in case the originals run out. For more information about how Levison Enterprises can ensure your Smt assembly is completed with minimal delay, contact us today. We have the expertise and processes in place to handle every aspect of your project from start to finish. This will allow you to focus on launching your new product and growing your business.