4 ms·
This is worrying really. Back when I used to work as an engineer consuming parts it wasn’t unusual for some parts to disappear entirely with no notice. This usu
by hughrr 5y ago
This is worrying really. Back when I used to work as an engineer consuming parts it wasn’t unusual for some parts to disappear entirely with no notice. This usually turned out to be some legacy piece of equipment that broke at the manufacturer for which there was no replacement. There was no replacement because the whole manufacturer had been limping along with 1980s equipment.
One of the parts was devastatingly expensive to substitute. It was a very low noise JFET which was being used as a high impedance amplifier buffer. We had to evaluate ten different parts from other manufacturers then hand select a suitable part with the right curve and noise figure parameters.
To get 10 usable parts meant we had to buy 10,000 parts in, buy $40k worth of kit (HP FTW) and spend a month doing it. The BOM cost went to $6000 a FET from $50. Fortunately being in defence sector they just burned the cash while we redesigned the entire front end of the device which took months of qualification and test.
Automating this test process actually started my software career.
Edit: also I’ve got to stab Six Sigma and other process methodologies in the face here. They pushed elimination of waste and metrics that drove that to the front of business success. This meant eventually relying entirely on just in time manufacturing and supply chains. Coming from a defence background this was a disaster from the old days of buying in stock for the entire lifetime of the devices in the field.
- panda88888 5y agoI also had defense background and the the idea of buying enough components for lifetime of the device comes up regularly as part of the project obsolescence process. There are teams that would look at the supply of materials, and if one was going obsolete/limited availability, we would buy up as many as we need for the project plus safety margin and just store them.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- thereddaikon 5y agoAgreed on Six Sigma. I also worked at a major defense contractor for awhile and Six Sigma was a blight on us all. Not only did it cause the problems you listed but we also wasted so many hours from required "quality meetings" every week.
- hughrr 5y agoOh god. Kill me with a spoon. I’d buried those meetings in a secret space in my mind along with all the other horrible things that happened in my life.
- treeman79 5y agoI picked up a book on it many years ago. The first chapter talked about needing to attack anyone that believe in six sigma, as in make an example out of them. Realized it was a cult mentality and avoided working for anyplace that used it.
- hughrr 5y agoAh yes seen that as well. Don’t criticise the process or you will be eliminated. I self eliminated and went and worked for a web design startup who’s process involved being drunk and winging it and it was more effective.
- formerly_proven 5y ago> One of the parts was devastatingly expensive to substitute. It was a very low noise JFET which was being used as a high impedance amplifier buffer. We had to evaluate ten different parts from other manufacturers then hand select a suitable part with the right curve and noise figure parameters. This is relatable even to hobbyist electronics tinkerers, at least to those dabbling in low-noise measurements.
- hughrr 5y agoYes. At least you can get the same noise figure measurement gear for a couple of orders less magnitude expense now though :)