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We continue to excel in custom connector assemblies and End of Life (EOL) solutions and we want to share our capabilities with you. Whether it is an expensive industrial connector or a new concept you need designing, our engineering and design teams have 50 years experience to help you innovate the solution for your specific needs. EOL parts threaten production and customer fulfillment. We are a partner you can rely on when you encounter a manufacturer discontinuing critical parts.  

We have put together a case study focusing on an EOL situation we resolved for one of our test and automation equipment companies. Please feel free to download to see an example of what we may be able to do for you! 

Circuit Assembly Resolves OEM Parts Phase Out Issue for an Internationally Recognized Manufacturer of Automatic Test Equipment. 

End of life (EOL) issues are a costly problem for those in the electro-magnetric industry. This comes about when an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) ceases to make a particular part due to demand loss. Sometimes a manufacturer/customer is given notice of the impending EOL on a part, with the option to buy a bulk amount before the tooling to produce the connectors is scrapped. This was unfortunately not the case for their Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) manufacturer. They were left in an immediate lurch in finding a solution to a loss of an industrial connector, itself a part worth hundreds of dollars. They turned to Circuit Assembly who is globally recognized to support EOL programs. 

Circuit Assembly’s Background 

Circuit Assembly has been a leader in interface connectors and cable assemblies since 1969. They have customers all over the world who trust them for a wide variety of quality interconnect products, engineering, design, and production services. They specialize in the production of custom connectors and cable assemblies, built to cutting-edge specifications for today’s leading edge products, and for tomorrow’s innovative new solutions.

Their Customer’s Challenge 

Circuit Assembly’s ATE manufacturer customer was left in a serious bind when their OEM informed them that they were not only discontinuing two zero insertion force (ZIF) connector parts they relied on, but that they had plans to destroy the tooling that produced the part. 

These were industrial-sized ZIF’s, with 220 and 320 pins. Circuit Assembly’s manufacturing customer required a custom solution that could replace the discontinued parts with as little disruption to production as possible. 

Solution 

1. Design & Tooling 

Circuit Assembly’s proficient engineering team analyzed the EOL parts their customer needed and determined they could tool the project up. After submitting design drawings proving the parts would fit the customer’s needs, the customer approved the tooling cost and ordered first article samples.

2. Testing 

The customer tested the first article samples and found the parts to be a perfect fit. The customer submitted a PO.

3. Quality Product 

The customer has continues to source the custom ZIF’s from Circuit Assembly with great success.

Results 

Circuit Assembly’s customer has turned to them a number of times to design and produce solutions on highly customizable jobs. This case represents another in a line of successful custom work. Happy Customer 

Circuit Assembly’s global electronic test and automation manufacturer claims: 

“We have relied on Circuit Assembly’s design innovation a number of times over the past 15 years. They work well with our manufacturing teams in turning around crucial custom parts.”