Siemens regularly updates its automation portfolio, discontinuing products as technologies evolve. Alongside these lifecycle changes, price increases on legacy and low-volume products are also affecting how long certain ranges remain commercially viable.
For manufacturers relying on established Siemens systems, this combination of rising costs and product phase-outs can increase the risk of supply disruption.
Using Siemens’ most recent publicly available discontinuation data [1], we can see which Siemens MLFB prefixes are currently most impacted. The graphic below highlights the product ranges with the highest concentration of discontinued items, helping manufacturers quickly identify potential risk areas.
Siemens ranges most impacted by discontinuations
Data sourced from Siemens product lifecycle information. Product groupings shown are indicative and provided to help customers understand affected ranges.
The data shows that discontinuations are heavily concentrated in a small number of Siemens ranges, rather than spread evenly across the portfolio.
Key observations:
- SIMATIC software and HMI ranges account for the highest number of discontinued items, reflecting Siemens’ transition towards newer engineering and visualisation platforms, alongside rising costs for maintaining legacy software versions [2].
- Engineering, simulation and system software features prominently, with several MLFB prefixes linked to tools and libraries that are being consolidated or withdrawn as part of broader portfolio optimisation and pricing strategies.
- Hardware-critical systems, including SINAMICS drives, SIMOTICS motors and SINUMERIK CNC platforms, also appear within the most affected ranges, where price increases often precede or accompany lifecycle changes, particularly on older variants [3].
Why MLFB prefixes matter
MLFB prefixes identify broader Siemens product ranges. When multiple items within the same prefix are discontinued often following repeated price increases or reduced commercial demand it can signal that a wider technology family is approaching end of life, even if individual products remain available in the short term.
Tracking discontinuations at prefix level allows manufacturers to:
- Identify vulnerable systems earlier
- Anticipate rising costs on legacy components
- Prioritise spares planning before availability and pricing tighten further
What manufacturers should do next
If your operations rely on any of the Siemens ranges shown:
- Review installed equipment and software by MLFB prefix
- Monitor lifecycle status and pricing trends regularly
- Secure critical spares early to mitigate further increases
- Assess replacement or migration options
Working with a specialist automation supplier can help extend system life while longer-term upgrade plans are developed, particularly when OEM pricing or availability becomes challenging.
References
[1] https://support.industry.siemens.com
[2] https://www.siemens.com/wincc-unified
[3] https://www.siemens.com/sinamics
https://www.siemens.com/sinumerik
