Managing Obsolescence

How can you plan for and tackle obsolescence more efficiently? That was the question we discussed for the latest edition of Operations Engineer. Alongside AVEVA and ABB we explored solutions that would support industrial operators and plant engineers that have to deal with the threat daily. 

We were asked to think of an example where equipment, parts or software/management systems had become obsolete and the example that came to mind was the BBL Series 4 project we worked on, and we thought we’d use the opportunity this month to remind you of it.

Our customer required evaluation, assessment and refurbishment of a range of analogue control modules at two different sites, as part of a larger Plant Life Extension Strategy Programme. The equipment dated from the 1980s, comprising of a range of rack-mounted analogue electronic function and signal conditioning modules in a range of configurations, with accompanying power supplies and operator interfaces.

The original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Babcock Bristol Limited (BBL), no longer manufactures or provides support for these devices. Therefore, ageing and obsolescence is a risk to the associated systems’ ability to continue to operate reliably. We conducted a comprehensive ageing and obsolescence evaluation, design review, test procedure generation and refurbishment of Babcock Bristol Ltd Series 4 modules across our customer’s sites. A full refurbishment and delivery plan for 372 modules was developed with our recommendations for long-term maintenance, support and storage.

Is this something we can help you with? Click here to contact us or call 01524 811383.