In brief
Obsolescence is the state in which a component, material or software is no longer offered by the manufacturer although it is still needed.
Contents
What is Obsolescence?
In industry, obsolescence usually arises because manufacturers switch product lines to new technologies, consolidate production or withdraw from markets. Other causes are changed regulations, such as substance bans, the end of availability of raw materials or intermediate products, and a supplier's insolvency. Electronic components with short product cycles are particularly affected, but so are mechanical and hydraulic components from older series.
The problem arises from differing life cycles: production plants often run for several decades, but many of their components are discontinued much earlier. If such a part fails, there is no original replacement and sometimes no documentation either.
Technical obsolescence should be distinguished from functional obsolescence, in which a part is still available but no longer meets changed requirements, for example new communication interfaces. The concept of planned obsolescence from the consumer goods sector plays hardly any role in the capital goods industry.
In practice: maintenance and procurement
Typical triggers for a review are discontinuation notices, significantly longer lead times or price jumps for a part. For affected components, remaining stock, alternatives and conversion options should be assessed early.
Synonyms and abbreviations: component obsolescence · parts obsolescence · discontinued parts · end of life (EOL)
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between obsolescence and discontinuation?
Discontinuation is an event: the manufacturer announces that a product is being withdrawn. Obsolescence describes the resulting state in which the part is no longer regularly available but is still needed. Obsolescence can also occur without formal discontinuation, for example when a supplier disappears from the market or an upstream product is no longer available.
Which components are particularly often affected by obsolescence?
The most affected are electronic components such as controllers, drive controllers, operator panels, power supplies and communication modules, because semiconductors and interfaces evolve rapidly. Software and operating systems also become outdated. With mechanical parts, obsolescence tends to affect special versions, parts from small manufacturers or older series, while standard parts usually remain available for a long time.
What strategies are there to counter obsolescence?
A distinction is made between reactive and proactive measures. Reactive measures are searching for remaining stock, using alternative parts, repair or reproduction from drawings. Proactive measures are monitoring life cycle status, a timely last time buy, selecting components with several sources for new equipment and planned modernisation before shortages arise.