Work begins on component obsolescence guideline
16 May 2012
News
When a component manufacturer discontinues a particular component, it creates a ripple effect throughout the electronics assembly industry, leaving EMS providers with myriad critical questions to answer: Is there an alternative source for the component? Is there a substitute component that will work? If no suitable alternative is found, the product must be redesigned.
To help alleviate the situation, IPC and the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA) are planning to create an industry guideline for the best practices of communicating component obsolescence.
According to Susan Filz, IPC director of industry programmes, component obsolescence costs the EMS provider valuable time and resources, and impairs the supply chain as a whole. “It is not a new problem. However, recent environmental regulations and the economic situation have brought component obsolescence to critical mass,” says Filz. “The RoHS legislation is a particularly good example of how a whole series of components was, for the most part, wiped out when it was introduced in 2006.”
The document will address issues such as:
* The time between the announcement of a manufacturer’s intention to cease production of a component and the date the component will no longer be manufactured, so assembly companies are ensured an adequate time to prepare.
* How the component manufacturer should announce its intention to discontinue a component, so the industry has a streamlined source of information; and
* Notification of estimated available quantity, so the industry can better determine the best short-term strategy.
“The goal would be to strengthen the communication between the assembly industry, authorised distribution and component manufacturers for the good of the electronics industry supply chain,” said Robert Willis, executive vice president and CTO, ECIA.
Further reading:
From the editor's desk: The art of measuring the truth
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
All electronic measurements are a lie. The trick is making the lie as small as possible.
Read more...
TSE has relocated
News
The Technology Station in Electronics (TSE) has entered a new chapter with its relocation from the CSIR campus to TUT-owned building at Ditsela Place in Hatfield.
Read more...
Innovative MyLegrand app
RS South Africa
News
Legrand SA is set to launch the MyLegrand mobile application, a digital platform designed to strengthen engagement across its professional network.
Read more...
Kulani Energy acquires critical assets from Optipower
News
Kulani Energy preserves engineering, procurement, and construction capability and positions a wholly women-owned firm at the forefront of South Africa’s grid expansion.
Read more...
From Cape Town to Johannesburg
News
Würth Elektronik South Africa has taken a significant step forward with its recent relocation from Cape Town to Johannesburg, marking a new phase of growth and ambition for the company.
Read more...
Lesley Havenga: Building partnerships for Africa’s electronics future
Editor's Choice News
As Würth Electronik expands its footprint across South Africa and the broader sub-Saharan region, Havenga’s blend of manufacturing expertise, supply chain knowledge, and people-centred leadership appears well suited to the task.
Read more...
Tackling e-waste with help from international partners
News
Every year millions of electrical and electronic devices and appliances, including mobile phones and computers, are thrown away and these items are now the fastest growing waste stream in the world.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Pricing surge reshapes engineering reality
Technews Publishing
News
The recent and continuing surge in memory prices has become more than a supply-chain story confined to global semiconductor markets. We have watched in disbelief as the ASP of memory has risen by over
...
Read more...
Siemens democratises EDA software access
News
This collaboration will provide streamlined access to advanced electronic design automation software for European semiconductor innovation.
Read more...
Components distribution: A promising trend
News
The European electronic components market returned to solid growth in Q1, gaining 16,9%, with broad, but uneven, momentum across the region.
Read more...
printer friendly version