2023-05-21 22:00:00
The implementation of new technologies makes their predecessors obsolete, useless and difficult to maintain due to the decreasing availability of components, suppliers and technicality. According to standard IEC 62402:2019 the risk of obsolescence is inevitable. Indeed, studies have shown that up to 70% of off-the-shelf (COTS: Commerce Off The Shelf) electronic components are obsolete before the product is launched on the market.
The electronics industry is currently one of the fastest growing industries in the global economy. Its growth is massive, investments and competition have been stimulated by the growing demand for new innovative technologies. New components are introduced to the market faster and faster, with smaller sizes, lower power consumption, differentiation, customization and improved functionality, leading to the obsolescence of older versions but also to an increasing complexity of technological equipment. As a result, the useful life of components decreases as more advanced ones become available. This incompatibility of life cycle times poses multiple problems for manufacturers of systems with a long life cycle. This gap is thus at the origin of the technological obsolescence discussed in section 1.. An explanatory example is the aerospace sector where aircraft depend on the same components and suppliers as the consumer electronics market, which is higher in volume. The life cycle of components is normally around two to three years, whereas the life cycle, from supply to availability of spare parts, in aeronautics is much longer and estimated at more than fifty years. Since aircraft manufacturers are not relatively large buyers of these components, electronics manufacturers tend to reorient their production and consolidate their capacity for new technology components demanded by high-volume customers, in other words the mass-produced electronics, such as small appliances, video game and photography equipment. This creates supply difficulties for the sector: the component then becomes obsolete because it is no longer available from the original manufacturer. A secondary component market then emerges and the components generally remain available for a longer period. However, this leads to high costs, requalifications, risk of counterfeiting and possible loss of functionality faster than expected. The selection of components and suppliers in the design of new products needs more attention. Several solutions can be considered and are listed in section 1.3. In this case, we speak of “spontaneous obsolescence” because neither the manufacturer nor the supplier had the prior intention of making a system or a product obsolete following such a short period. Decision-making is crucial and must consider technological, economic, social and environmental criteria as well as the departments of the company impacted and the actors in its supply chain. The problem is thus more severe for other sectors such as avionics, the military sector or even nuclear installations.
Difficulties related to technological obsolescence are not limited to long life cycle systems, they also affect products with short and medium life cycles, to cause new concerns such as electrical and electronic waste. The longevity/obsolescence duo is an important criterion for the competitiveness of companies and the satisfaction of their customers, but also very restrictive in terms of respect for the environment and sustainable development. An overview of the obsolescence of small electronic products is covered in Section 2 and will be followed by an overview on EEE waste.
1685264504
#Technological #obsolescence #electronic #components #equipment #issues #challenges #Complete #file
