Product life cycles are getting shorter. For example, 20 percent of consumers replace their televisions every four to five years; another 5 percent replace their sets every one to three years. Smartphones are even worse. On average, consumers replace their phones about every 2.5 years.
In that light, it may seem counterintuitive to expect a multistation automated assembly system to last for a decade or more, but there are examples out there. In 1990, Lanco Integrated built a machine to assemble compacts for a cosmetics company. That machine is still running today. And why not? While cosmetics colors might change with fashion trends, the basic form factor of the compact itself has not. Thus, with proper maintenance and little or no changes in tooling, the machine has been able to churn out product for years.