Today’s blog is about how Force Technologies Ltd not only solves your current obsolescence issue, but also how we evaluate and cater to your long term project demands. Understandably it is not helpful to replace an obsolete component with another obsolete component and mitigating such a scenario is of the upmost importance.

Some customers are purely looking for a stop gap solution to act as a bridge between current requirements and board level redesign. Normally this is because enough of the ICs used in the application have reached EOL or obsolete status and board level re-spin/re-qualification becomes the most financially viable approach. In such cases Force can offer extremely cost effective drop in solutions for the exact quantity requirement. Traditionally this would consist of utilising base material through our qualified supply chain and engineering a back end solution to ensure both drop in compatibility and any applicable environmental requirements are met.

Other customers have a comprehensive idea of future and annual requirements. Whilst we will always offer an immediate or short term solution to offset any project delays, this is the perfect opportunity to assess and present a long term redesign or manufactured solution (with no foreseeable obsolescence issues). Force can either bank the die or the base material for such solutions in a JEP160 compliant monitored and logged environment or hold the finished goods and ship to long term support schedules.

In the event a customer is working on a more ad hoc basis and are unable for a variety of reasons to fully gauge future requirements. Force will always aim to offer a solution that at a minimum is viable for at least three years. This gives the customer some breathing room and allows them to look at putting something more permanent in place (if required).

Force currently has active support contracts up to and exceeding the year 2045 with periodic test reviews of all stock held in long term storage. Ensuring we don’t just support your current requirement and guaranteeing support for your legacy application indefinitely is at the forefront of our business model.

Starting from my next blog, I will go into detail about some more of our specific product solutions that have solved a customers obsolescence problem. Stay tuned and perhaps you can identify a potential solution in your own area of semiconductor Obsolescence.