ABI’s initiative started in 2015 ‘Repair, don’t waste’ rapidly became a global movement that is aimed at increasing awareness of the benefits of choosing repair over the replacement of industrial circuit boards across the business spectrum. The ‘Repair, don’t waste’ movement has actively contributed to the reduction of waste and emissions, machine downtime, and created quality technical jobs around the world. To date, hundreds of businesses have joined the movement by investing in ABI technologies and training as well as the development of internal capabilities to troubleshoot, repair, and extend the service life of a wide range of systems used in sectors such as defence, aerospace, rail transport, automotive, energy, biomedicine, and many more.

Research indicates that circuit boards that are repaired close to the point of use are 90% cheaper compared to buying a new replacement. Repairs carried out in-house provide fast access to ready-to-use stock reducing downtime and operational losses. The PSA Group which is behind the car brands Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel, and Vauxhall reported that repair rather than discarding the defective electronic circuit board produces 85% fewer CO₂ emissions (Source Apec).

A repaired unit can perform as brand new or even better. Modern troubleshooting technologies, training, and international standards ensure that the repaired equipment operates to at least the same standard as new units. In many circumstances, root-cause fault analysis at the circuit board level can lead to design improvements thus taking equipment reliability to a higher standard compared to the original design.

Some of the tangible benefits of in-house repair include improved scheduled maintenance, the extended service life of critical assets, carbon emissions reduction, and job creation. The ‘Repair, don’t waste’ website provides access to resources and case studies to help your business transition into a less wasteful future.

Many businesses struggle and even fail at implementing an in-house electronic repair facility for not knowing what equipment is required and the type of training that needs to be provided to staff. Both subjects require proper attention as investing in equipment without having trained staff available to operate it will be frustrating and vice versa. Many skilled technicians and engineers struggle with repairs as the tools provided such as oscilloscopes, power supplies, multimeters are not aimed at fault finding. Those who attempt using these will likely take too long or end up disturbing the circuit board by replacing far too many devices at any given time than required. ABI’s tried and true training and equipment however increase efficiency and upskill the workforce as shown in this example involving aerospace giant, Raytheon Collins Aerospace in America.