Optical components (objective coatings) lose 5%-10% light transmittance annually (15% in dusty areas); mechanical components (stages) see positioning accuracy widen from ±0.001mm to ±0.01mm; electronic components (LEDs) lose 30% light intensity after 50,000 hours. Scientific O&M (cleaning + calibration + part replacement) slows degradation—for example, a laboratory microscope in Europe retained 90% of its initial precision after 8 years of standardized O&M, exceeding the industry average 5-6-year effective lifespan.

Cross-border repairs (e.g., flying a German engineer to Africa) cost over $20,000 per incident; downtime losses (industrial scenarios) range from $10,000 to $100,000 per day. In contrast, annual O&M costs only 2%-5% of equipment value (e.g., $2,000-$5,000 for a $100,000 microscope), primarily covering cleaning tools, consumables, and regular calibration—far less than emergency repair expenses.

High-humidity regions (Southeast Asia) may see moldy objectives (repair cost: $3,000-$5,000) without regular desiccant replacement; dusty regions (Middle East) risk burnt light sources (replacement cost: $1,000-$2,000) from blocked vents; unstable voltage regions (South Asia) may suffer motherboard damage (repair cost: >20% of equipment value) without voltage stabilizers. Regionalized O&M avoids these risks.

Record calibration time, personnel, tools, results, and corrective actions. Store reports for 5 years (medical, FDA/CE compliant) or 3 years (industrial, ISO 9001 compliant) for traceability.