The technology is well understood, what's not understood is how to use less items on the bill of materials and/or less expensive items on the bill of materials,

The technology is well understood, what's not understood is how to use less items on the bill of materials and/or less expensive items on the bill of materials, or to remove items from the well-understood technology until it is cheaper to produce, but also fails in new ways. The push to the bottom impacts every single product/process, doesn't matter if the technology is well understood, there's always another penny to shave off the cost so manufacturer can make more profit.