Obsolescence Management
The strategic process to manage the aging and unavailability of components (hardware & software) before they lead to unplanned plant shutdowns. It is the race against the manufacturer's discontinuation.
The Problem: The plant is alive, but the spare parts are dead
Obsolescence is one of the biggest risks for existing plants ("Brownfield"). A machine can mechanically last another 20 years, but if the control component (PLC) or the industrial PC is discontinued by the manufacturer, the next defect threatens an economic total loss. Particularly tricky: software obsolescence. Many machines still run on Windows XP or 7. They are a security risk and no longer maintainable, even though the mechanics are flawless.
Reactive vs. Proactive
- Reactive (The Standard): The part fails. You call the manufacturer. They say: "No longer available, lead time for successor 40 weeks." -> Production stop.
- Proactive (The Goal): You know before the part fails that it will be critical, and you stock up on remaining inventory or plan a retrofit.
Solution with ADAM: Radar instead of flying blind
Active obsolescence management often fails due to a lack of data ("What is deeply installed in the control cabinet?"). ADAM solves this with the Digital Life Record:
- Inventory: ADAM stores the exact list of installed components (not just "Motor", but "Motor Type X, Year 2010").
- Matching: By comparing with manufacturer databases, ADAM can warn: "Warning, your frequency converter will be discontinued in 6 months."
- Action options: Instead of panic, this enables strategy: "Last Time Buy" (buy remaining stock), "Refurbishment" (use used part) or "Retrofit" (plan retrofit).