On Sat, 13 Nov 2010 21:21:54 -0800 (PST), KD7HB
wrote:
On Nov 13, 7:54Â*pm, CaveLamb wrote:
And interesting essay.
But will people buy products designed to be repaired?
http://consumerist.com/2010/11/the-s...ectronics.html
--
Richard Lamb
email me:
web site: Â*www.home.earthlink.net/~cavelamb
The basic problem is defining what is means to "be designed to be
repaired". I own an electronic assembly service and we build
everything electronic from cables to circuit boards to complete units
ready to ship to the end user. Everything we build can be repaired,
and sometimes we do have to repair them. We can do that because we
have the documentation, test equipment, and knowledge to do it. We do
not have documentation and test fixtures to repair and test other
companies devices. So, most consumer products are not repairable
because no one but the manufacture has that ability.
Unlike the radios and TV sets of the 1940-60's, the electronic
manufactures do not release documentation to repair their devices, nor
do they have spare or replacement parts kits.
We get calls every week asking if we can repair some instrument or
device. A number of calls are from people that think they have traced
a problem to a burned resistor or a connector that is broken. When we
explain that a burned resistor is a symptom of the problem and not the
cause, they begin to understand why our shop rate is $50 per hour, but
only work on devices we have actually built.
The only case where we have been able to help someone was a call
several years ago from an airplane mechanic from a small airport about
50 miles South of our plant. He had a plane stuck at the little
airport because several diodes had opened and he couldn't fly it that
way. We found diodes that would work temporarily for him and just gave
them to him.
The whole idea of repairable consumer electronics is based on
ignorance of what is involved.
Paul
To a large extent, yes - but if companies were REQUIRED to make
devices repairable it would do away with the solvent welded (or heat
welded) plastic cases in favour of screwed together cases - possibly
even using non-toxic non-plastic materials, such as aluminum or even
wood that could be opened without destroying the, to get at the
components. If the circuit boards had to be replaceable, and the
replacement boards had to be available for exchange so the boards
could be repaired, and thereby actually recycled, the design would
need to change from multiple boards soldered together to boards that
plug together (like most used to in the past) Self diagnostics could
be built into most designs that would indicate which subassembly had
failed.
The big problem is, this would make the devices more expensive to
BUILD. Which means either the profit margin would drop or the selling
price would go up substantially.
This would mean fewer would be sold.
If they could be fxed, even fewer would be sold - and that , along
with the lower profit margins, would reduce the earnings of these
companies, lowering their stock value, which would really **** off the
stock-holders.
The economy as we know it would have to totally re-adjust itself -
we'd be back to the sixties.
The devices would also have to become larger, or contain less features
in the same size, because miniturization and repairability do not
particularly work together.
Although repairable devices are possible, I don't think the world is
ready for what would be required to make them the "norm".
People of 2010 don't want to go back to the 'sixties - even if, when
all is said and done, we'd all be better off for it.