Obsolescence management

Over the last decade, obsolescence management has become a more significant theme, not only in  industry, but also in other aspects of daily life.

Although today’s technology enables us to achieve more varied and complex motions with the use of electric and automation components, their lifecycles are generally shorter than the more limited, solid-state products employed previously.

Servomotors are enabling us to generate complex multi-axis motions, and are replacing mechanical gearbox technology, substantially increasing the number of automation systems embedded into modern machinery.

The use of more automation components, driven by an array of servo drives and software, demands a greater amount of monitoring of the availability of these products in the market.

Therefore, over the years, Aisa has always engineered machinery to not only perform with outstanding results in the present; in the design phase, our engineers are also considering possible future machine upgrades on the process side, and striving to mitigate potential obsolescence issues.

This is a relentless task, requiring ongoing contact with our many suppliers, to anticipate product phase out. When an instance of obsolescence is announced by a supplier, several actions are triggered internally at Aisa. We must decide whether to test the new coming replacement product or seek an alternative brand, and then we evaluate the consequences in terms of space management on the machine, compatibility, reliability and, of course, the price-performance ratio of the new product.

Crucially, once a replacement product has been selected, Aisa must thoroughly validate its performance, modify the machinery software, and ensure ongoing compatibility with neighbouring components.

I trust that by now you can see how deep our concern with obsolescence is.

Obsolescence management is a key consideration when investing in a piece of Aisa machinery – one which we are very glad to support you with, on an ongoing basis. From assisting in the transition to recyclable plastic barrier laminates, to helping build intelligent factories using Industry 4.0 tools, we are at your side throughout the entire product lifecycle. Don’t hesitate to contact us to ask how Aisa can support you, to get more out of your Aisa equipment.

Stéphane Roux
Customer Service Director