April 2023 – Keeping up with Component Obsolescence

The term ‘obsolescence’ instils fear in many procurement specialists, but there are several reasons why a component can become obsolete. The obvious reason is a superior model supersedes an existing part, or changing regulations, standards or redesigns can also bring a component to end-of-life.

For strict industries that have to follow red tape, such as aerospace, military and medical sectors, obsolescence can leave OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) non-compliant with regulatory standards. It can also make repairs and maintenance work extremely challenging as like-for-like parts may not be available, or the technical support that comes with it. For these sectors parts frequently reach end-of-life after a prolonged period of time in extreme environments which if not replaced can pose as a safety risk.

Modern applications can include thousands of components and attempting to manage obsolescence and upgrades to modern day replacements can prove time consuming and very stressful. OEMs can take some proactive measures in managing obsolescence by auditing components and understanding each part’s lifecycle. This often includes a risk analysis of parts that could become obsolete and working to secure stock from a reliable supplier.

At GD Rectifiers, customers can contact our team for support on component obsolescence. Our dedicated sales team are at hand ready to help with obsolescence requirements including PDNs or EOLs and last time buy notices, and as a dual-supplier, we may be able to offer a mechanically interchangeable part from another manufacturer.

Design Tools to Support Component Obsolescence

We provide a selection of semiconductor finder tools designed to help you source the components you need. Simply enter your technical parameters such as voltage and current rating and our finder tools will help you find the most suitable products from our broad range of manufacturer partners including IXYS, Westcode and Semikron. If you’d prefer to talk to a member of our team about a suitable alternative please contact us on 01444 243 452.

GD Rectifiers can also assist with redesigning or re-engineering parts, mitigating the impact obsolete parts have on product quality, production time and customer’s safety is one of our top priorities, helping take the pressure off of the component sourcing process at the same time.

To find out more about how GD Rectifiers could support you with component sourcing, or to receive a quote, please call: 01444 243 452 or email enquiries@gdrectifiers.co.uk.