OBSOLESCÊNCIA PROGRAMADA: UMA ANÁLISE TÉCNICA DO SUBDIMENSIONAMENTO DE COMPONENTES ELETRÔNICOS

The growing vulnerability of modern electronic equipment makes the technical evaluation of their structural failures necessary. This work aimed to investigate the impact of design practices and component selection used in the input stage of power supplies on operational longevity and the occurrence of early obsolescence. The research was developed through an exploratory and descriptive bibliographic review, using technical manufacturer manuals and reliability studies. The results showed that the choice of components with narrow tolerance margins entails the mathematical reduction of the devices' lifespan. In the transient protection analysis, it was verified that the use of varistors with reduced energy absorption capacity accelerates cumulative degradation and premature circuit failure. Regarding voltage regulation, the application of the Arrhenius Law to electrolytic capacitors indicated the severe impact of thermal stress. The physical allocation of these parts near heat-dissipating sources drops the estimated durability to around one thousand hours of operation under high thermal stress, a threshold that compromises system reliability after short periods of use. It is concluded that the premature breakdown of home appliances is directly associated with design constraints and the adoption of components with narrow operating margins, a technical condition that reduces device longevity, favors accelerated obsolescence, and aggravates the generation of electronic waste.