Signed into law in August 2022, the U.S Government’ CHIPS Act has been dubbed the most disruptive change to affect the electronics industry in a generation with serious consequences for its supply chain expected to last well over a decade. A repair-first strategy can help businesses support and manage their critical systems whilst American and European microchip supply chains take form, and well beyond that.
Our movement recently had the opportunity to share our ethos with the world via Interesting Engineering’s exciting new podcast, Lexicon. By delving into the issues of E-Waste and the fight to repair industrial electronics, ABI’s International Sales Manager Willian Santos explained why time is up for the break-and-replace mentality, and how the world needs to change to usher in a new era of sustainability in industry.
International Sales and Marketing manager Willian Santos of ABI Electronics was recently interviewed by Rail Director magazine regarding the importance of repair over replacement of electronic circuit boards, specifically in the rail sector. As a founder of the #RepairDontWaste movement, Willian shared great insight into how the industry’s largest players are challenging current trends and embracing electronic repair as a sustainable practise for today and the future.
Over the past 4 years, GE has saved 20 million dollars by consigning the act of throwing away a faulty PCB to the past. Their strategy now? Repair, Don’t Waste.
At ABI we believe that investing in your own in-house repair and maintenance capabilities is absolutely necessary for all industries who are focused on emissions and e-waste reductions. ABI offer specialist test and measurement systems to enable companies to do so, whilst advancing their own sustainable mobility and goals. Are ABI’s ‘lifesaver’ systems too good to be true? Why not find out for yourself!
AmePower’s investment in ABI’s electronic troubleshooting system BoardMaster and reverse engineering equipment RevEng will provide exclusive capabilities to AmePower for highly sophisticated refurbishment, recovery, and modernisation of power electronics used in railway.
The Royal Mint has revealed plans to build a “world-first” plant in South Wales to recover gold from UK electronic waste. The pioneering facility will help address the growing environmental issue of E-Waste, alongside fostering invaluable skills in Britain’s job market When complete in 2023, the new venture will support about 40 jobs. Although the Royal Mint recycling plant is an exciting prospect for many, it does not address the root of the issue – why are we wasting electronics rather than repairing them?
The rework of circuit boards has increased drastically over recent years due to the shortage of components in the global market. Many technology users and service providers are quickly becoming aware of needing to repair and recycle their electronic equipment and components, not only for financial benefit but in order to reduce waste and its damaging effects on the environment.
Simply throwing out electrical equipment and updating to ‘this year’s model’ is wasteful, expensive and causes problems of pollution and toxins, especially in emerging economies. It does not have to be this way.
Read the article “The Solution to Our E-Waste Problem? Repair, Don’t Waste” featured at Interesting Engineering.
This piece also aims to raise the profile of technicians and engineers who care and work to ensure the business is doing the right thing when it comes to the maintenance of critical assets