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JULY 2026 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 57 A More Mature View The sustainability benefits of recovery are real, but this is not the only reason it matters. Recovering and reusing components can reduce electronic waste, extend the life of existing devices, and make better use of the energy and materials already embedded in semiconductors and assemblies. For most manufacturers, though, the immediate case is operational and financial. Recovery reduces depen- dence on volatile supply, improves control over critical components, and extracts value from assets that have already been paid for. The companies best positioned for the next dis- ruption will be those that broaden their definition of supply. We must look beyond what can be bought next quarter and ask what can be recovered, re- stored, and reused from the assets already inside the business. With uncertainty in today's markets, the greatest value often lies in the components you already own and can return to service. SMT007 Rob Ronan is the UK sales and support manager at Retronix Ltd. Recovery as a Service, Not Just an Engi- neering Exercise Recovery is no longer viewed solely as something done ad hoc in-house. Increasingly, it is being treated as a specialist service. It's important to make that distinction because successful recovery involves much more than removing one part from a board. Depending on the component type and application, it may also involve inspection, lead straightening, retinning, alloy conversion, reballing, coplanarity checks, electrical testing, packaging, and documentation. It requires a deep under- standing of package behavior, handling controls, process limits, and potential failure mechanisms that can arise if any stage is poorly managed. It makes sense to work with specialist partners who can apply those processes in a controlled, re- peatable environment. In that model, recovery be- comes less of a one-time intervention and more of an extension of the supply chain itself. Companies such as Retronix have helped shape this approach by providing recovery, reconditioning, and test ser- vices that allow manufacturers to reclaim value from existing assets while maintaining the quality con- trols and traceability.