Businesses in the Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) industry face an ongoing challenge – managing obsolete and End-of-Life (EOL) components. The relentless pace of innovation often pushes components towards obsolescence even before they’ve had their full run. So, how can companies plan for and mitigate this inevitability? Let’s explore some effective strategies.

1. Stay Ahead with Proactive Forecasting

The secret to managing obsolete and EOL components is simple: Don’t react, anticipate. Although manufacturers typically issue an EOL notice, relying solely on this can leave your business vulnerable. A proactive approach to obsolescence management is key. Keep a vigilant eye on emerging technology trends and market indicators. Make it a point to routinely review and update your company’s technology lifecycle. This anticipatory strategy can provide valuable insights into which components may soon reach their EOL status and need replacement.

• Supplier Partnerships: Cultivate strong relationships with suppliers. Regular communication can give you early warnings or insights into potential obsolescence, allowing for more informed decision-making.
• Diversify Component Sources: Relying on a single supplier or component can be risky. Ensure you have alternatives by identifying and vetting multiple sources for critical components.
• Regular Training: Equip your procurement and design teams with up-to-date knowledge and training. Understanding the latest in technology and market dynamics enables them to make strategic choices ahead of time.

2. Utilize Interposers & Adapters

Interposers and adapters serve as the unsung heroes in prolonging the life cycle of EOL and Obsolete components.An interposer acts as an interface, bridging the communication between two different components, typically where there’s a mismatch in terms of size, functionality, or connection type. For EOL components, this means they can be repurposed or kept in use, even when the rest of the system advances or changes.Adapters, on the other hand, allow for the physical connection between two mismatched components, ensuring compatibility where there might not have been any before. This can be particularly valuable for EOL components that are still functional but aren’t directly compatible with newer systems due to evolving connection standards.

By incorporating interposers and adapters into a company’s strategy, businesses can:

• Extend the Usability of EOL components, ensuring a higher return on initial investments.
• Reduce Waste, as functional components can be reused instead of discarded.
• Mitigate Costs associated with frequent system overhauls or replacements.
• Enhance System Flexibility, allowing for easier updates and integrations without complete replacements.

3. Embrace Long-Term Procurement

Long-term procurement or Last-Time-Buy (LTB) strategies are a smart way to counteract obsolescence. Upon receiving an EOL notification, organizations may choose to buy and store a large quantity of the soon-to-be-obsolete part. This bulk purchase can meet your needs in the short term and buy you time to strategize for a future replacement.
When conducting a Bill of Material (BOM) Analysis, this step becomes especially critical. The BOM lays out every component required for a product, making it essential to identify any parts at risk of becoming obsolete. Implementing an LTB strategy during BOM analysis ensures that there’s a buffer in supply, mitigating potential production disruptions. It provides not only continuity but also the opportunity to evaluate and select suitable replacements or redesigns without immediate pressure. Hence, integrating LTB considerations into BOM analysis is an essential tactic for proactive obsolescence management.

• Cost Efficiency: Securing components in bulk before they become obsolete often results in cost savings, avoiding the potential premium prices of hard-to-find parts in the future.
• Quality Assurance: By stockpiling components through LTB, organizations ensure they have access to parts that have been tested and meet their quality standards, rather than seeking alternative sources that may not offer the same level of quality consistency.
• Market Advantage: Organizations that adopt LTB strategies can maintain production timelines and meet delivery commitments without interruption, giving them a competitive edge in the marketplace.

By implementing these strategies, your business can transform the challenge of obsolescence and EOL management into a competitive advantage. Remember, the rapid pace of innovation is a double-edged sword. While it might render some components obsolete, it also brings new and improved alternatives. So, stay informed, plan ahead, and embrace change. Contact our expert team at Murrietta Circuits today!

 

 

Surface Mount Technology (SMT) is revolutionizing the way Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are assembled. By allowing for the direct placement of components onto the surface of PCBs, SMT has paved the way for higher circuit densities and levels of complexity.

There are many reasons why SMT is the future of PCB assembly. Here are just a few:

• Higher circuit densities: SMT allows for the placement of components closer together, which results in higher circuit densities. This can lead to smaller, more compact PCBs.
• Greater levels of complexity: SMT makes it possible to assemble PCBs with a higher level of complexity. This is because SMT allows for the use of smaller, more complex components.
• Improved mechanical and electrical performance: SMT can improve the mechanical and electrical performance of PCBs. This is because SMT components are typically smaller and lighter than Through-Hole (TH) components.

 

Murrietta Circuits: Investing in SMT Technology

To keep pace with the demands of SMT assembly, businesses need to invest in the latest machinery in SMT Assembly. These placement machines and towers can help to improve the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of SMT Assembly.
Murrietta Circuits is committed to providing its customers with the latest SMT technologies. That’s why we’ve partnered with Mycronic to add 2 additional Mycronic Pick and Place Machines and 3 more Surface Mount Device (SMD) Towers to our SMT line.

• The Mycronic MY300SX Placement machines are the latest in SMT technology. These machines are incredibly fast and accurate, and they can handle a wide variety of components. They are versatile and can be used to assemble a range of PCBs.
• The Mycronic MyTower 6X is a new type of SMT feeder. These towers are incredibly efficient, and they can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to load components into a Pick & Place machine. The Mycronic SMD Towers are also very flexible, and they can be used to load a variety of components.

The addition of these new machines and towers is a significant investment in SMT technology for Murrietta Circuits.

 

A Closer Look: Mycronic MY300 – The High-Speed, High-Precision Performer

The Mycronic MY300 Placement machine comes with advanced features that combine speed and precision. Our recent integration of additional MY300 machines, means we can deliver even faster, more dependable results for our customers.

KEY FEATURES OF MYCRONIC MY300SX:

• High-Speed Assembly: With a top speed of 24,000 CPH, this high-speed placement machine allows for high-volume production, which can be important for meeting demand in competitive markets. The MY300’s ability to rapidly place a vast array of components with complete precision is a game-changer, ensuring high-speed assembly that never compromises on accuracy.
• Versatility: This machine can handle a wide variety of components, including resistors, capacitors, diodes, and transistors. This flexibility can be important for manufacturers who need to handle a variety of components in their production process.
• On-the-fly changeovers: This feature allows for quick and easy changes to the machine’s configuration, which can be helpful when switching between different production runs.
• Real-Time Inventory Management: The MY300’s operating system enables real-time tracking of component usage, streamlining inventory management.
• Efficient Production: Thanks to a shared operating system and identical programming and setup across all our SMT lines, the MY300 enables seamless machine-to-machine communication, reducing downtime.
• Advanced Connectivity: The MY300’s Operating System offers real-time connectivity with the Mycronic SMD Towers, improving the precision and control of the inventory management.

 

A Closer Look: Mycronic SMD Towers – The Game-Changer in Inventory Management

Pairing perfectly with the My300 machines are our new Mycronic SMD Towers, which automate and enhance storage and retrieval in a way that is nothing short of revolutionary. These storage powerhouses have transformed our inventory management process.

KEY FEATURES OF MYCRONIC MYTOWER 6X:

• Space-Efficient: By offering automated storage and dispensing of reels in a compact design, these towers free up valuable floor space. The MyTower 6X is the largest component storage system from Mycronic and provides quick and easy access to reels with a small footprint.
• Real-Time Inventory Adjustment: Fully integrated with the MY300 machines, the towers automatically adjust inventory levels as components are used in production.
• Accurate Component Tracking: The towers provide exact tracking of each reel of components, whether it’s in the tower or on the SMT line, ensuring precise inventory control. Its unique identification code system virtually eliminates any chances of errors.
• Increased Storage Capacity: The addition of more SMD Towers to our setup significantly enhances our overall capacity for reel storage. Each additional Tower adds an impressive maximum storage capacity of 2,468 reels in less than 2 m².
• Versatile Storage Solutions: Designed to cater to your needs, MYTower 6X effortlessly accommodates large quantities of 7” reels, providing us with the flexibility required for varied manufacturing demands.

 

The Dynamic Duo: Unleashing the Power of Synchronicity

The Mycronic MY300 and SMD Towers are the perfect match. They work together like a well-oiled machine to optimize efficiency and accuracy in our SMT production line. They share information in real time, so the MY300s always know what components are available and the SMD Towers always know what components need to be replenished. This synchronicity helps us to reduce machine downtime, improve accuracy, and speed up the production process. We’re also able to keep better track of even the most microscopic of components, ensuring that no component is unaccounted for.

Here are some of the ways that the Mycronic MY300 Pick and Place machines and SMD Towers work together to improve our SMT capabilities:

• Increase Production Capacity: The SMD Towers provide the MY300s with real-time updates about component availability, which helps to ensure the machines are running at full capacity. This means that we can produce more PCBs in less time, which helps us to meet the growing demand for SMT assemblies.
• Barcode Scanning: The SMD Towers can scan barcodes on component containers, which allows them to automatically identify the components and their quantities. This information is then sent to the MY300SX, which uses it to generate pick and place instructions.
• Production Monitoring: The MY300SX and the SMD Towers can both monitor production data, such as the number of components placed, and the number of errors detected. This data can be used to track performance, identify bottlenecks, and make adjustments to the SMT process.
• Reduce The Time It Takes to Assemble PCBs: The MY300 machines and SMD Towers are both very efficient. This means that we can assemble PCBs faster, which helps us to reduce our production costs.
• Improve the Quality of Our PCB Assemblies: The MY300 and SMD Towers are both designed to minimize the risk of errors with seamless real-time communication.
• Expand our product offerings: The Mycronic machines allow us to assemble a wider range of PCBs. This means that we can expand our product offerings and meet the needs of a wider range of customers.

So, there you have it! These are just a few of the ways that the Mycronic MY300SX and the Mycronic SMD Towers work together to improve efficiency and accuracy in SMT production. If you’re looking for a way to boost your SMT capabilities, then these machines are definitely worth considering.

Want to learn more? Contact Murrietta Circuits today to schedule a demo and see how these machines can work for you. We’re experts in SMT assembly and we’d be happy to help you find the right solution for your needs.

Syncardia & Murrietta Circuits Join Forces to Save Lives!

Murrietta Circuits teamed up with SynCardia technology to provide an incredible solution to heart transplant candidates that can save lives and even put candidates in a better place to receive their heart transplants.
It is our mission to provide affordable and highly reliable PCBs solutions because we know that lives may depend on it!

What is NADCAP?

NADCAP (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) is an industry-managed approach to conformity assessment that brings together technical experts from both Industry and Government to establish accreditation requirements, accredit suppliers, and define operational program requirements.

This results in a standardized approach to quality assurance and a reduction in redundant auditing throughout the aerospace industry because Prime Contractors, Suppliers, and Government Representatives have joined forces to develop a program that:

● Establishes stringent industry consensus standards that satisfy the requirements of all participants
● Replaces routine auditing of Suppliers with one approved through a consensus decision-making process of members from the user community
● Conducts more in-depth, technically superior critical process audits
● Improves Supplier quality throughout the industry through stringent requirements
● Reduces costs through improved standardization
● Utilizes technically expert auditors to assure process familiarity
● Provides more frequent audits for Primes, fewer audits for suppliers

NADCAP Ensures Consistent Quality & Reliability

NADCAP Accreditation brings many benefits to Murrietta Circuits’ customers, including:

● Peace of Mind – Customer knows their product is well cared for
● Full Compliance with Industry Standards
● Promotes Safety and Eliminates Waste – Cost savings passed down to our customers
● Increased Quality through process improvement

In a time when customer visits and audits are uncertain, you can rely on the NADCAP certification to ensure that our quality standards and processes are consistent and standardized

DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURABILITY & TESTABILITY

Customers choose Murrietta Circuits for PCB Design & Engineering services for both our extensive knowledge and the high-quality services we have provided for over 40 years.

Offering our customers an integrated solution all under one roof allows early discussions with our Engineering team to assess many factors from BOM review for long-lead items, high cost or minimum buys, determining the PWB Material for producibility, availability, cost, and final stack up.

Most importantly, Engineering follows design rule checks for manufacturability to ensure your product is ready for production.

WHAT ARE IPC STANDARDS?

IPC is a worldwide association that develops and teaches proven standards to the electronics industry. These standards provide guidance for nearly every step in the electronics development process.

WHY DO IPC CERTIFICATIONS MATTER?

Murrietta Circuits provides PCB services for industries that require the absolute highest level of reliability and quality including the military, aerospace, space, and medical industries.
Having attained many IPC Certifications, Murrietta Circuits customers can trust that our processes are backed and proven.

List of Murrietta Circuits’ IPC Certifications and Standards