Abstract
This PAS applies to the long-duration storage of electronic components.
Although it has always existed to some extent, obsolescence of electronic components, and particularly integrated circuits, has become increasingly intense over the last few years. Indeed, with the existing technological boom, the commercial life of a component has become very short compared with the life of industrial equipment such as those encountered in the aeronautical field, the railway industry or the energy sector.
The many solutions enabling obsolescence to be resolved are now identified. However, selecting one of these solutions must be preceded by a case-by-case technical and economic feasibility study, depending on whether storage is envisaged for field service or production, for example:
- remedial storage as soon as components are no longer marketed
- preventive storage anticipating declaration of obsolescence
Taking into account the expected life of some installations, sometimes covering several decades, the qualification times, and the unavailability costs, which can also be very high, the solution to be adopted to resolve obsolescence must often be rapidly implemented. This is why the solution retained in most cases consists in systematically storing components which are in the process of becoming obsolescent.
The technical risks of this solution are, a priori, fairly low. However, it requires the perfect mastery of the implemented process, and especially of the storage environment, although this mastery becomes critical when it comes to long-term storage. All handling, protection, storage and test operations must be performed according to the state of the art.
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