On Mon, 9 Feb 2004 20:46:38 +0000, geoff wrote:

In message , Andy Hall
writes
Perhaps it's just their priorities are all wrong. I never cease to be
amazed by the way makers will pare things down to the absolute minium on a
product which has perhaps the most hostile environment for electronics
found in the home.

Pennies count. It isn't just the electronics either.

There is the urban legend (which I think has some truth) of the days
when Plessey made televisions. I once worked with an engineer who
had worked in their design department. He would produce a correct
design and then the chief engineer would come round with his clippers,
look at the circuit diagram and start clipping components out until it
stopped working.

Geoff is probably best fixed to commenton boiler electronics, but I
suspect that it is the usual sorry tale of inadequately specified
components, inappropriate ones for the job and lack of attention to
temperature environment as high on the list..


What I don't understand about counting pennies is how you can charge
about £100 for e.g. a Netaheat or Profile pcb which carries a couple of
dozen components

Why does a dog lick its ********?



The worst offence which boiler pcb designers commit (IMHO) is the
direct switching of reactive loads (fans, gas valves etc) without the
use of any kind of snubber to reduce relay contact wear.

2-5p for that component.


The worst offence which I see in the manufacturing process is the really
rubbish soldering, especially on Molex connectors

Are they flow soldered or added afterwards by hand, typically?



Of course each pcb has it's own weak points, and I have difficulty
understanding why these are quite often not addressed when they produce
a new issue of that board ... unless of course, no it can't be true,
that they don't build them to last - heaven forbid

..andy

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