Anticipating the obsolescence of your parts protects you from a large number of important risks that including shut down your production. Here is a non-exhaustive list of reasons why it is important to anticipate obsolescence equipment when purchasing a low voltage switchboard.
Low-voltage installation reliability loss
Parts that reach the end of their life and cannot be replaced weaken your low-voltage switchboard. The switchboard is no longer reliable and can have a serious problem at any time, with consequences ranging from partial to complete or total shutdown. You expose yourself to a production interruption of several days or even weeks, which will lead to a loss of productivity and consequently a drop in profitability and competitiveness.
Physical and human risks
If your low-voltage switchboard is less reliable (the equipment no longer fulfils its function), it is also less reliable for your technicians and installations. You are exposing them heavily to electrical risks which include:
- the risk of contact, direct or otherwise, with a exposed live workpiece
- the risk of short circuit
- the risk of electric arcing
The serious consequences of these exposures are electrification, electrocution, fire, explosion...
Your low-voltage switchboard is no longer upgradeable
As your business changes, your electrical distribution needs become more important. If your switchboard or its equipment is obsolete, evolution often becomes impossible. The lack of spare parts prevents you from adding new equipment.
The cost of your maintenance increases without control
If the equipment becomes obsolete, the stock at the manufacturers will decrease, the parts will become rare and therefore their cost will increase. As a result, your repairs on this equipment will be more expensive and the response time will also be longer.
Equipment becomes more and more obsolete and breaks down more often. Not anticipating obsolescence requires more frequent preventive maintenance and therefore increases the cost of managing spare parts (safety stock).
In short, you must anticipate the obsolescence of your equipment to protect yourself from:
- production shutdowns so as not to lose profitability
- risks of physical accidents and protection of persons
- the evolution of your installation and your equipment
- the high cost of maintenance on parts that are not easily available
