Executive Summary: What is planned obsolescence and how does it affect industrial machinery? It is the deliberate planning of an asset's lifespan to force replacement. In electrical systems, predictive maintenance, infrared termography, and equipment ledgers combat this effect, extending the service life of motors, transformers, and expensive electronics.
Planned obsolescence is the useful life that a factory or company gives to a product. When this useful life period passes, the product will become obsolete and useless.
This was created so that the consumer would be forced to purchase the same or similar new product. Most products are “programmed to die,” and many times when these devices die it is cheaper to purchase a new one than to repair the one we already have.
Planned obsolescence ensures high demand, therefore companies have more benefits and a continuous supply. This greatly influences the development of the economy.
We have three types of obsolescence:
Obsolescence of function, this type of obsolescence occurs when a more advanced product goes on sale, that is, with new functions.
Quality obsolescence, in this type of obsolescence the product after a certain time of use begins to present failures and malfunction.
Obsolescence of desire occurs when a more advanced product goes on sale and people change the one they already have, just for reasons of style or fashion.
Planned obsolescence affects consumers in several ways, economically and psychologically, we enter a cycle, buy, use, throw away, buy, use, throw away and we come to want products that we do not need.
This system also presents other problems such as the increase in waste that is generated when this phenomenon occurs over and over again.
When did planned obsolescence emerge?
Society's consumption and program obsolescence are the basis of the current social and economic system. However, this system is not new and began to be developed in the 1920s.
The idea came from the Phoebus Cartel, with large manufacturers like Philips or General Electric. They agreed to reduce the useful life of their light bulbs to increase sales. Thus, if Edison's light bulb in 1879 had an average lifespan of 2,500 hours, in 1925 it only lasted 1,000 hours. A figure that has survived to this day.
Planned obsolescence emerged in 1932, Bernard London created obsolescence seeking to shine at the expense of society. This term became popular in 1954 thanks to a speech given by the American industrial designer Brooks Stevens.
Products programmed to die.
Nowadays there are very few products that are not programmed to die, we have light bulbs that burn out from time to time and we are forced to change them, printers that stop working, ink cartridges that printers use, video games, cars, batteries and almost all electronic equipment, even office chairs like these have a useful life because fashions change quickly.
The first light bulbs that were sold had a useful life of about 1,500 hours; thirty years later, light bulbs began to be sold that had a useful life of up to 2,500 hours. Shortly after, they realized that with light bulbs that lasted so long, sales were going down, which is why they began to sell light bulbs that had a useful life of about 1000 hours, that is, shorter.
All of these products have a useful life determined by the manufacturer. We know that the ink cartridges run out after printing a certain number of sheets and we must change them.
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What is planned obsolescence?
NOVEMBER 19, 2020LEAVE A COMMENT
planned obsolescence
Planned obsolescence is the useful life that a factory or company gives to a product. When this useful life period passes, the product will become obsolete and useless.
This was created so that the consumer would be forced to purchase the same or similar new product. Most products are “programmed to die,” and many times when these devices die it is cheaper to purchase a new one than to repair the one we already have.
Planned obsolescence ensures high demand, therefore companies have more benefits and a continuous supply. This greatly influences the development of the economy.
We have three types of obsolescence:
Obsolescence of function, this type of obsolescence occurs when a more advanced product goes on sale, that is, with new functions.
Quality obsolescence, in this type of obsolescence the product after a certain time of use begins to present failures and malfunction.
Obsolescence of desire occurs when a more advanced product goes on sale and people change the one they already have, just for reasons of style or fashion.
Planned obsolescence affects consumers in several ways, economically and psychologically, we enter a cycle, buy, use, throw away, buy, use, throw away and we come to want products that we do not need.
This system also presents other problems such as the increase in waste that is generated when this phenomenon occurs over and over again.
When did planned obsolescence emerge?
Society's consumption and program obsolescence are the basis of the current social and economic system. However, this system is not new and began to be developed in the 1920s.
The idea came from the Phoebus Cartel, with large manufacturers like Philips or General Electric. They agreed to reduce the useful life of their light bulbs to increase sales. Thus, if Edison's light bulb in 1879 had an average lifespan of 2,500 hours, in 1925 it only lasted 1,000 hours. A figure that has survived to this day.
Planned obsolescence emerged in 1932, Bernard London created obsolescence seeking to shine at the expense of society. This term became popular in 1954 thanks to a speech given by the American industrial designer Brooks Stevens.
Products programmed to die.
Nowadays there are very few products that are not programmed to die, we have light bulbs that burn out from time to time and we are forced to change them, printers that stop working, ink cartridges that printers use, video games, cars, batteries and almost all electronic equipment, even office chairs like these have a useful life because fashions change quickly.
The first light bulbs that were sold had a useful life of about 1,500 hours; thirty years later, light bulbs began to be sold that had a useful life of up to 2,500 hours. Shortly after, they realized that with light bulbs that lasted so long, sales were going down, which is why they began to sell light bulbs that had a useful life of about 1000 hours, that is, shorter.
All of these products have a useful life determined by the manufacturer. We know that the ink cartridges run out after printing a certain number of sheets and we must change them.
It is said that cars manufactured in the 50s or 60s can have up to twice the useful life of current cars, the lifespan of these cars does not exceed three decades. A clear example of planned obsolescence can be found in some car parts such as brakes, which after a while begin to lose their capacity.
Another product in which we can find planned obsolescence is nylon stockings. In the 1920s, these stockings were almost unbreakable. As they lasted so long, sales dropped, since women did not need new stockings so often. Thanks to this, the stockings we have today began to be sold, which break very easily.