Design for Serviceability
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12.23.05
Some of those presents you unwrap this week will break at some point, and most of those broken items will end up in the trash because it is just about impossible to repair them yourself or find someone to do it for you. Furthermore to save on manufacturing costs and make the items cheaper they are put together in a way that makes them almost impossible to open or replace parts. Peter Kinne at IDFuel does an interesting comparison between an older iMac and a bicycle- two extremes of serviceability. ::IDFuel
Small devices = too much time and money to replace single parts = whole assemblies required for replacement.
Consumers demand micro sized devices. Remember when video cameras were just a lens and VCR (a what?) you held on your shoulder? I just bought a digital camera that fits in my hand, and i'll have no hope of ever taking it apart to repair it if the lens motor goes out.
Repairing electronic devices from 10 years ago is simple compared to that of today. I've had the same iMac open, and if you know what you're looking for, you can do most repairs. A lot of failures in devices today revolve around failed power supply components, many times capacitors. These are parts that can be replaced by just about anyone with some patience. I fully agree with the difficulty of opening some of the newer stuff--you have to come to terms with the fact that it probably will crack plastic in the process.
As far as the bike, mechanical devices will almost always be easier to service than electronics, unless they are so small its impossible to work on. Cars aren't as easy to work on as they used to be--sensors and emissions equipment often times can only be replaced, no real servicing possible. Whereas before the 80s, when most cars came with V8s and large V6s, many cars now are small bodied, with small motors shoehorned into the tiny engine compartment.
People used to be concerned about the costs of repairing something before they even made the purchase. With most electronics being so cheap, they figure by the time it breaks, a better version will be available, and at a cheaper cost, so who cares if its not servicable?
I just fixed a usb jumpdrive. I was kinda suprised I could, but it turned out that they decided to try to make a through-hole crystal oscillator into a surface mount by soldering little pieces of metal to the leads that they cut very short. The crystal oscillator was too heavy and the solder holding it on their board broke.
Of course they never expected anyone to take the case apart, so it was glued together. And most consumer electronics is meant to be put together once and not taken apart. Ipods are impossible to take apart without damaging the case, if one happens to fail final testing at the factory, they must just trash the case.