Legacy Equipment Manufacture
Planning for Legacy Sustainment Isn’t Optional — It’s a Business Decision You’re Already Making
February 3, 2026
The Cost of Waiting: Why Legacy Failures Are Always More Expensive Later Legacy systems rarely fail all at once. They fail quietly—and expensively. A component reaches end-of-life. A supplier exits the market. Test capability erodes as documentation ages and people move on. None of it feels urgent in isolation. But together, these small degradations create something far…
Managing Electronic Component Obsolescence in Defense Programs
October 1, 2025
The problem of electronics obsolescence is uniquely potent when it comes to Defense programs. Modern Defense electronic systems tend to be rife with obsolete components or components at risk for being discontinued–some of which are mission-critical for the larger system. So not only is electronic obsolescence more prevalent, it also tends to have a much…
Understanding and Mitigating Obsolescence Risks in Embedded Systems
January 10, 2025
Electronics obsolescence is an inevitable and fundamental problem that many manufacturers and end-users face daily with their embedded systems. But it doesn’t have to be a big challenge–proper planning and support can help you save a lot of time, money, and effort that would otherwise be wasted trying to ‘manage’ obsolescence risk when it’s such…
The Role of Legacy Equipment in Modern Industrial Applications
November 4, 2024
Industrial automation has become more and more crucial throughout the manufacturing world. Robotics have expanded from simply material handling and movement to actually performing certain tasks, like assembly and welding, and they are only growing more sophisticated with each year. In a time of diminishing resources and increasing demand, automation offers new opportunities for many…
Legacy Engineering: Balancing Innovation with Tradition
October 1, 2024
Legacy electronic systems result from technology’s swift evolution, a rapid pace of growth and innovation that, while widely celebrated, leaves many embedded systems incompatible and unable to easily and affordably upgrade in its wake. What is Legacy Engineering? The goal of engineering as a general field has always been to solve technical problems, increase efficiency…
Obsolescence is a now problem–not a later one
December 15, 2023
A case study in what can go wrong Obsolescence is a critical issue in PCB manufacturers and their customers, and can be an expensive problem to deal with if not dealt with on time, or even better, ahead of time before the real issues begin. As a legacy equipment manufacturer–a manufacturer of obsolete and discontinued…
Natural Energy of Operations | Letter From The CEO
November 16, 2022
It’s that time of year again: annual operating planning. Hooray! Jokes aside, successful planning relies on how well everyone understands the leadership team’s vision and their role in making the magic happen. The general approach is to develop an executive vision, followed by departmental plans. For 2023, most OEMs will continue dealing with booming demand…
When ‘Just-in-Time’ Is Just Too Late: A New Approach to Managing Production
October 21, 2022
Until the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, just-in-time (JIT) inventory management strategy was considered to be among the most reliable business models for manufacturing everything from cell phones to satellites. JIT was used to minimize component inventories and increase efficiency throughout the production process. For active products, that meant required materials arrived when they…
Last Time Buy vs. Last Time Offering
August 4, 2022
A widespread practice among original equipment manufacturers (OEM) is the last time buy (LTB) event, which is usually a warning call to customers that a product is approaching its end of life (EOL) stage. This practice varies in its execution, but it usually takes the shape of a six-month EOL notice with a six-month LTB…
Wood Burning as Disposition for End-of-Life Products
June 19, 2021
Wood Burning as Disposition for End-of-Life Products I live on a ranch in northern California. This winter, we accounted for the dead oak trees and cleared them for the first time. Some of the wood we used for decoration, some to frame the dog’s new pen, and some we decided to sell. Because we do…