We are a proud leader in interface connectors and cable assemblies. We’ve been custom designing parts for 50 years and are dedicated to solving any type of design or parts issue our customers encounter. A serious and costly issue our customers frequently encounter is when a manufacturer ceases to make a part. This is know as End of Life, or EOL, and it can leave customers in a serious bind.
All too often the EOL is a complete surprise to the customer and it can negatively impact existing inventory, jeopardize customer service to the end customer, and cost thousands of dollars in finding a solution.
We have put together a case study focusing on an EOL situation one of our globally recognized medical technology customers faced. This is an example of how have helped countless companies cope with EOL parts.
Circuit Assembly Gives Award Winning Medical Technology Company the Way to Continue Production Despite Their OEM Issuing an EOL on Parts.
A costly side of business for companies that source industrial parts is when their Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) discontinues a part or product line. This can disrupt a company’s commitment and goodwill to customers, can make current inventory obsolete, and leaves a company scrambling for solutions. The issue is further compounded when an OEM does not give any notice to a company before destroying the tooling machine that makes the part(s) being discontinued. Circuit Assembly’s medical technology customer called on them first when encountering this alarming scenario.
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 internationally recognized medical technology company was given no warning to prepare when their OEM announced they were discontinuing two parts that the company utilized in the cable assembly of their remote hospital suites. Their OEM had already destroyed the tooling for both parts and informed them that they would only retool if their $60K retooling charge was met.
The medical technology company turned to Circuit Assembly for help due to their reputation on supporting EOL programs. Circuit Assembly is well known to save companies the stress in solving for part(s) being discontinued with their highly experienced engineering and design teams. The tooling, custom replacement parts, and support of projects through their lifecycle has been Circuit Assembly’s commitment to customers for the last 50 years.
Circuit Assembly was able to achieve success for their medical technology customer and has continued to support them for nearly a decade.
Solution
1. Tooling & Design
Circuit Assembly’s customer required two parts to be crossed, with one part requiring further new design. Circuit Assembly was able to meet this challenge and modify a tool for manufacture at a fraction of the retooling cost the customer was quoted by their OEM.
2. Testing
Several prototypes were issued to the customer and standard Shock & Vibration field tests were undertaken by the customer.
3. Quality Product
The customer’s quality, cost, and agreement for ongoing provision requirements were met, with hundreds of thousands of two part numbers being produced.
Results
The customer has been procuring this product from Circuit Assembly for nearly a decade. Circuit Assembly’s replacement products represented a solid fit for their customer’s needs and they have committed to supplying them for as long as they should require the parts.
Happy Customer
Circuit Assembly’s globally recognized medical technology company claims:
“Working with Circuit Assembly’s design and sales teams makes a lot of sense for us – we trust them to meet our requirements and not jeopardize our business needs.”