AI-generatedCopy-exact (CE!) is a standard qualification requirement in semiconductor equipment manufacturing that ensures form, fit & function (FFF), interchangeability, and reliability of the products via a controlled change management process. Products that adhere to CE! do change and improve over time. In that case, CE! governs how those changes happen: every modification must be reviewed, approved, and communicated in a structured and traceable way before it affects a customer's qualified configuration.
For PSU suppliers, this is a more demanding obligation than it may initially appear.
A key objective of CE! is to assure 100% interchangeability between products, e.g. when a product is manufactured across two locations, it must be functionally identical. A power supply contains hundreds of components from multiple sub-tier suppliers. Any of the following can constitute a copy-exact event:
SFC Energy's change control is managed through a formal Engineering Change Request / Engineering Change Order (ECR/ECO) process, administered within our PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) system. The process details are given in appendix.
Change class | Defenition / example | Customer action | Revision |
|---|---|---|---|
Document Change | Typos, logo update, formatting. No impact on product. | No notification required | AB → ..AC (doc only) |
Minor Change | Silkscreen or cosmetic PCB change (e.g. logo adjustment). No FFF impact. | Customer must be informed | AA → ..BA (minor) |
Major Change — Class A | FFF impacted. Stock implications to be discussed. Example: test equipment duplicated for production increase → customer informed. | Customer must be informed and approve / reach mutual agreement on stock impact | 12345AA → 12346AA (major) |
Major Change — Class B | FFF impacted, test equipment or process change. Example: different test tower configuration (DMM, Scope, etc.). | Customer must approve before implementation | |
Major Change — Class C | Change in form, fit or function affecting electrical or mechanical interface. | Customer sign-off required before implementation |
Component obsolescence is one of the most significant long-term risks for any qualified PSU programme. Electronic components have lifecycles measured in years; qualified systems are expected to operate for decades. SFC Energy has been sustaining power supply systems for over 20 years, and this experience has shaped a proactive, structured approach to obsolescence management.
Operational urgency
Unexpected shortages (e.g. a supplier unable to deliver due to raw material constraints, or a sudden sourcing restriction on a key component family) trigger an immediate ECR.
BOM monitoring
The entire BOM is loaded into SiliconExpert, a tool that assesses lifecycle risk, supply chain risk, counterfeit risk, and compliance with EU material directives (RoHS, REACH). Automatic alerts are generated when a component changes lifecycle stage. The Change Management team receives these notifications and initiates an ECR, gathering all relevant data: last-time buy options, current stock levels, current demand, and design criticality.
Supplier alerts
Our partners and component suppliers send automated PCN (Product Change Notice) and EOL (End-of-Life) notifications, which are fed directly into the ECR process.
Once an obsolescence event is identified, SFC Energy works with the customer well in advance of any impact — typically at least six months before a change is required, and in most cases earlier, since Supply Chain secures parts once an order is placed. Only in exceptional circumstances are changes fast-tracked, and only with clear prior agreement with the customer.
Where no direct replacement exists and a redesign is required, the process involves:
Example: a critical IC gate driver, used across multiple SFC platform variants, reached end-of-life in 2023. Stock remained available on the market, allowing SFC to secure full demand, purchase additional inventory, and involve the affected customers in the lifecycle plan before any supply disruption occurred.
Engaging a PSU supplier on copy-exact and lifecycle requirements early — ideally at the design stage — significantly reduces the cost and risk of sustaining a qualified configuration over time. The decisions that matter most are made at the beginning: component selection, documentation standards, sub-tier supplier management, and change classification agreements. At SFC Energy, these conversations are part of our standard engagement process. We treat copy-exact compliance not as a constraint imposed from outside, but as a design parameter that shapes how we build and sustain your product.
Our field experience proves that our change control is not mere bureaucracy: it is the guarantee that what we build 10 to 15 years from now will perform exactly as what we build today.
SFC Energy's process ensures that no change affecting form, fit, or function reaches a customer's qualified configuration without prior notification and, where required, explicit approval.
Any employee of SFC, as well as suppliers, partners, or customers, can initiate an Engineering Change Request in the PLM system. External ECRs are translated into the internal ECR process. Typical triggers include cost reduction opportunities, customer/ authority requests or complaints, and product obsolescence.
The ECR is reviewed by the Change Management team, who consult with relevant stakeholders across Supply Chain, Purchasing, Technical R&D, Engineering, Operations, and Customer Support. A cross-functional assessment determines whether to proceed.
If approved, the ECR is converted into an Engineering Change Order (ECO), which governs the execution and implementation of the change.
Where the change impacts the customer, the Customer Support team (together with the Key Account Manager) is responsible for informing and, where required, obtaining approval from the customer before implementation.
Every change that could affect FFF is captured through our ECR process and classified as a Major Change. Major changes require customer notification and approval before implementation. Our Change Management Process ensures all critical requirements are captured — we treat copy-exact compliance not as a constraint imposed from outside, but as a design parameter that shapes how we build and sustain your product.
Any Major Change (Minor or Document Changes require notification only, without approval). The Customer Support team, together with the Key Account Manager, is responsible for customer communication. In standard practice, customers are informed at least six months in advance of any change implementation. Exceptional fast-track changes only proceed with explicit prior agreement from the customer.
We monitor qualified BOMs actively via SiliconExpert and receive automatic EOL and PCN alerts from our partners and suppliers. Depending on programme lifetime and volume, we evaluate last-time buy quantities, alternative sourcing, or sub-module redesign — always with customer involvement before any change is implemented. Where no 1:1 replacement exists, we work with the customer to share the cost of securing critical stock.
Yes. We currently sustain systems that are over 20 years old. Sustainment programmes involve locked documentation, controlled spare parts inventory, and defined escalation paths for obsolescence events. Our SiliconExpert monitoring remains active for all sustained platforms, not only current production.