Obsolete IGBTs in Commercial Printing: What Technicians Need to Know

Obsolete IGBTs in Commercial Printing: What Technicians Need to Know

In the heart of every industrial printer lies a quiet powerhouse — the IGBT. For decades, Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors have controlled everything from heater units to motor drives in digital presses, wide-format printers, and label production systems. But as the semiconductor landscape shifts, these once-common components are disappearing from production lines, leaving service technicians and maintenance engineers in a race to adapt.

This article explores the growing trend of IGBT obsolescence in the printing industry, and what professionals on the front lines need to do to stay ahead.

 

 

Why IGBTs Matter in Commercial and Industrial Printers

IGBTs are a key component in managing high power with precision. They are most commonly used in:

  • Motor drive circuits — for paper feed systems, carriage motors, or vacuum fans

  • Heater controls — particularly in fuser assemblies for laser and digital presses

  • Power supply regulation — converting and managing high-voltage input for various subsystems

In short, IGBTs make it possible for high-speed, high-resolution printers to perform reliably under heavy loads. Whether you're servicing a 20-year-old press or maintaining newer digital models, chances are you're working with IGBT-based circuits regularly.

 

 

The Growing Risk of Obsolescence

As semiconductor manufacturers shift their focus toward electric vehicles, renewable energy, and compact SMD power modules, many of the IGBTs historically used in the printing industry are being phased out. Legacy through-hole components, TO-220 packages, and older IGBT modules are particularly at risk.

The result? We're now seeing:

  • Discontinued part numbers from major suppliers like Mitsubishi, Infineon, and Fuji Electric

  • Longer lead times for once-standard components

  • A growing dependency on aftermarket and surplus distributors

This trend is quietly impacting maintenance teams who rely on consistent availability of specific parts for repairs, replacements, or planned maintenance schedules.

 

 

Impact on the Printing Industry

For service teams supporting machines like the HP Indigo series, Xerox iGen, or EFI VUTEk presses, the effects of IGBT obsolescence are becoming harder to ignore:

  • A failed fuser control board may now take weeks to repair due to unavailable parts

  • Replacements sourced from secondary markets may vary in quality or lifespan

  • Downtime costs are rising as sourcing delays slow repairs

  • OEMs are increasingly pushing for full assembly replacements rather than part-level fixes

In industries where uptime is mission-critical — such as print-on-demand, commercial packaging, or textile printing — this can translate into missed deadlines and frustrated clients.

 

 

What Technicians and Engineers Can Do

There are steps technicians and engineering teams can take now to mitigate risk:

1. Inventory at-risk components

Start identifying which IGBTs are used in your current fleet of printers. Create a bill of materials (BOM) for high-failure boards and assemblies.

2. Check component life cycles

Use tools like Octopart, FindChips, or manufacturer databases to check if those components are actively produced, not recommended for new designs (NRND), or fully obsolete.

3. Source proactively

Don’t wait for a failure. If you know a certain model is being phased out, consider stockpiling critical components now before prices spike or stock disappears.

4. Evaluate replacements carefully

While some IGBTs have pin-compatible replacements, not all are direct drop-ins. Be sure to check voltage, current, switching frequency, and thermal characteristics before swapping parts.

5. Consider predictive maintenance

If you’re not already using thermal imaging, voltage/current sensors, or smart monitoring, now is the time. Identifying early signs of stress in power electronics can prevent catastrophic failures — especially when replacements are hard to find.

 

 

Looking Ahead

The obsolescence of IGBTs isn’t a sudden cliff — it’s a slow fade. But for the technicians, engineers, and maintenance managers who keep industrial printers running, it’s a change that requires immediate attention.

By staying proactive, updating sourcing strategies, and sharing knowledge across teams, service professionals can stay one step ahead — and ensure that the printers driving today’s commercial and industrial operations stay online, efficient, and profitable.

 

 

At ATI, we specialize in hard-to-find and end-of-life IGBTs trusted by technicians and maintenance teams across the printing industry. Whether you're stocking for legacy equipment or facing an urgent replacement need, our expert team can help you find the right part — fast.

If you're a technician or engineer dealing with part shortages or sourcing issues, we would love to hear what you're seeing in the field. Let's share strategies and help each other navigate the challenges of maintaining aging equipment in a rapidly evolving electronics market.


Email: websales@igbt.us.com

Phone: 239.734.7566

Search Parts: https://igbts.us


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