Zwei-Jahre-Datecode-Regel führt zu unnötigem Ausschuss nutzbarer Halbleiter in Langzeitprogrammen

Long-lifecycle programmes are treating semiconductor datecodes as expiry dates, rejecting components still fully functional years after manufacture. Traceability standards built for this exact problem exist, but adoption remains inconsistent. Obsolescence is not an exception in long-lifecycle electronics; it is a scheduled event. Any product with a service life beyond a year or two will encounter it, Evertiq reported on 4 August. Ronny Nietzsche of Rochester Electronics framed the real question: “How can you best mitigate and control the risks?” Procurement teams often treat a datecode as an expiration date rather than a manufacturing record. A part built two years ago and stored correctly is not inferior to one built last month — but rigid rules routinely discard the older stock on marking age rather than verified condition. Damian Semple , Franchise Marketing Manager, comments: “Storage history tells you more than a datecode ever will. Rejecting stock on age alone throws away usable inventory.” The standards to fix this already exist Two frameworks address this gap. SAE AS6496 mandates chain-of-custody traceability through authorised channels, verifying a component’s journey from manufacture to end use — the mechanism regulators expect in aerospace and medical programmes. JEDEC JEP160, introduced in 2011, sets out controlled temperature and humidity conditions for long-term storage, EE Times reported . Components stored to it can remain reliable for fifteen years or more — yet adoption has been inconsistent, particularly for legacy parts. Datecodes still matter for lot tracking and recalls. They were never designed as the sole fitness test, and pandemic-era shortages already forced buyers to rely on older stock that performed exactly as specified. Stay ahead on electronics news Join the electronics industry Astute Engineer newsletter Why the pressure is only building Lifecycles are compressing further as OEMs demand higher performance, Electronics Sourcing reported , citing Brian Ellison of Quiksol Global, who said: “Component product lifecycles continue to shorten due to OEMs’ demand for higher performance.” AI demand and geopolitical tension compound the effect, narrowing the window before a design-critical part reaches end of life. Ellison’s recommended response is structural: lifecycle intelligence flagging end-of-life risk ahead of formal notices, pre-positioned inventory to extend redesign timelines, and engineering support for plug-and-play alternatives. None of that helps if a datecode-only policy is quietly discarding usable stock first. For teams in defence, medical and industrial programmes, the fix is procedural: verify storage history before rejecting a part on age, and treat AS6496-compliant sourcing as the baseline, not the exception.