While a stockpile of equipment does not necessarily mean a part or equipment is no longer obsolete, for the plant needing that part or equipment, surplus inventory certainly solves their short-term challenge. For more than three decades plants have been using Curtiss-Wright’s RAPID online database to locate parts and equipment in the inventories of surplus suppliers as well as other plants. Curtiss-Wright’s Idaho Falls, ID facility also maintains a large inventory of older I&C equipment that can be refurbished and made available to plants in need.

One of the main reasons equipment becomes obsolete is not enough customers order sufficient quantities to justify continuing manufacturing it. But if a number of customers committed to purchase a significant quantity at one time, perhaps the manufacturer could produce a special manufacturing run. A similar approach has been employed by Curtiss-Wright for decades, which is partnering with companies that have dropped their nuclear quality assurance programs. Curtiss-Wright handles all of the QA aspects of the products and has the original manufacturer produce equipment that would otherwise be obsolete.

An alternative to replacing obsolete equipment is repairing and refurbishing it indefinitely. This is common for electronic modules and equipment, and Curtiss-Wright’s Idaho Falls, ID facility is an industry leader in the repair and refurbishment of electronic modules and I&C equipment. For mechanical components, Curtiss-Wright’s Middleburg Heights, OH facility has decades of experience reverse engineering parts like check valve hinge pins, valve stems, and special fasteners. Reverse engineering is often viewed as a more expensive solution, but compared to replacing an entire check valve, reverse engineering the hinge pin, bushings, and other wear parts offers huge cost savings.

Similar to surplus inventory, this is a temporary solution that involves removing parts from one component and using them to repair another. This is not a common practice as this renders the other component unusable, but perhaps another strategy can be used to replace the borrowed part. The main advantage to cannibalization is obtaining the replacement part quicker than some of the other strategies. Plants can locate equipment using Curtiss-Wright’s RAPID online parts database.

This is a common strategy for dealing with obsolescence. Electrical products are one of the more impacted product types. When breakers, fuses, relays, and other components become obsolete, they are typically replaced by newer models that offer advantages industrial customers seek. Or if a manufacturer does not offer a replacement, another manufacturer likely offers a similar product.

In order to be considered an equivalent replacement, the new part must have the same form, fit, and function. The new part must not introduce any new failure mechanisms. This can be a huge challenge considering the use of plastic parts, smaller parts that may not be able to handle seismic activity, and the use of microprocessor-based controls even in simple products like relays. Curtiss-Wright engineers are adept at selecting replacement equipment they are confident will pass required equipment qualification testing, most of which is performed in our Cincinnati, OH facility.

For electronic equipment, reverse engineering can be an ideal solution when no equivalent solutions are available and also when the plant wishes to replace analog equipment with new analog equipment. Curtiss-Wright’s Idaho Falls, ID facility is an industry pioneer in the reverse engineering of electronic modules, boards, and equipment. On the mechanical side, Curtiss-Wright’s Middleburg Heights, OH facility is an industry pioneer in the reverse engineering of mechanical parts and components and has decades of experience with small fasteners to large reactor internal components.

Reverse engineering of electronic components is generally expensive and can take months to complete. A large part of this effort involves redesigning the component using currently available analog technologies and parts, and in most cases the new design must go through equipment qualification testing. Reverse engineering of mechanical parts can often be done quicker, and the goal is to replicate parts, so no redesign or equipment qualification is needed. Reverse engineered parts might be more expensive than the original parts, but the cost savings stems from being able to maintain rather than replace entire pieces of equipment.

This is the most complex and typically most expensive strategy and is typically chosen when the replacement equipment introduces new failure mechanisms, such as using microprocess based controls or logic. Plants generally only choose this option when the new equipment offers a vast improvement over the older technology, such as digital safety systems. Curtiss-Wright does not offer the engineering service associated with design changes and modifications but does offer numerous products of the type that would require engineering. Reach out to our team for more information