Magical cases

[D Yuniskis]

Happy New Year!

(more or less)

Well, I started the year off fighting one of those
notorious "plastic cases". You know the kind: you
*know* there's a SIMPLE way to get it open but you'll
be *damned* if you can figure it out! :> (this one
was just too large physically else it would have -- and
eventually *did* -- open easily).

So, having taken my physical exercise for the day
(year?? :> ), I wondered what sort of experiences
folks have had with troublesome disassemblies.

Ignore things that aren't *designed* to be dismantled
(many items apparently are not!). And, ignore automobiles
(we all know these are assembled in 7th dimensional space
and teleported to our dimension just prior to sale).

Are there techniques for assembly that lend themselves
readily to disassembly (servicing) without risk of
serious damage (cosmetic or otherwise) to the item
itself? Old fashioned hardware (e.g., screws) doesn't
count.

I personally find laptops to be the most anxiety laden
devices to service... too many *small*, fragile plastic
"snaps" that can break (unless you are familiar with
the particular model). At the other extreme, old
Apple computers (Quadra vintage) seemed to be the
nicest "no-brainers" to disassemble (perhaps *one*
screw?).

Since disassembly/reassembly is a big part of repair
(time is money), anything that can cut down on the
time required to disassemble (assuming it doesn't
penalize the assembly time during *manufacture*) and
reassemble contributes to lowering TCO on the item.

(yes, nowadays that may be a moot point... :< )

Aside from types of devices, any manufacturers that
have been particularly "friendly" in this regard?

(note this is just a topic for speculation/discussion;
there are no "right/wrong" answers)

 

On Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:50:31 -0700, D Yuniskis
<not.going.to.be@seen.com> wrote:

Happy New Year!

(more or less)

Well, I started the year off fighting one of those
notorious "plastic cases". You know the kind: you
*know* there's a SIMPLE way to get it open but you'll
be *damned* if you can figure it out! :> (this one
was just too large physically else it would have -- and
eventually *did* -- open easily).

So, having taken my physical exercise for the day
(year?? :> ), I wondered what sort of experiences
folks have had with troublesome disassemblies.

Ignore things that aren't *designed* to be dismantled
(many items apparently are not!). And, ignore automobiles
(we all know these are assembled in 7th dimensional space
and teleported to our dimension just prior to sale).

Are there techniques for assembly that lend themselves
readily to disassembly (servicing) without risk of
serious damage (cosmetic or otherwise) to the item
itself? Old fashioned hardware (e.g., screws) doesn't
count.

I personally find laptops to be the most anxiety laden
devices to service... too many *small*, fragile plastic
"snaps" that can break (unless you are familiar with
the particular model). At the other extreme, old
Apple computers (Quadra vintage) seemed to be the
nicest "no-brainers" to disassemble (perhaps *one*
screw?).

Since disassembly/reassembly is a big part of repair
(time is money), anything that can cut down on the
time required to disassemble (assuming it doesn't
penalize the assembly time during *manufacture*) and
reassemble contributes to lowering TCO on the item.

(yes, nowadays that may be a moot point... :< )

Aside from types of devices, any manufacturers that
have been particularly "friendly" in this regard?

(note this is just a topic for speculation/discussion;
there are no "right/wrong" answers)

Friendly design: Henry Ford telling his Model T engineers that a
carburetor had "too many screws" (about a dozen). The next design was
also rejected because "it still has too many screws" (it had 3). The
final design was held together by one screw.

John

 

[pedro]

I regularly repair LCD monitors (as a hobby - at business rates it
makes more sense to replace failed monitors). As you point out, time
to gain entry is often the largest component of the repair. While I
have become reasonably adept at separating cases with minimal cosmetic
damage, some occurs from time to time. Before reassembling the case,
I "spot" the locations of the latches with a drill bit, leaving just a
small depression at each - just in case the same monitor comes back.
It would be a great help if manufacturers provided some sort of subtle
case marking as a service aid.

 

[D Yuniskis]

Hi Pedro,

pedro wrote:

I regularly repair LCD monitors (as a hobby - at business rates it
makes more sense to replace failed monitors). As you point out, time
to gain entry is often the largest component of the repair. While I
have become reasonably adept at separating cases with minimal cosmetic
damage, some occurs from time to time. Before reassembling the case,

Yes. I find that even if there is no cosmetic damage *visible*
on the outside of the case, I often end up breaking some little
"snap" inside the case. Usually not enough to jeopardize the
case's integrity but annoying for it to happen at all.

I "spot" the locations of the latches with a drill bit, leaving just a
small depression at each - just in case the same monitor comes back.

"Comes back"?? I'll guess that means the repair wasn't quite
up to snuff :>

I take photos just so I can see roughly where the "snaps"
are located. Often, seeing an item in pieces is enough
to tell me which way to "apply pressure" on a seam, etc.

It would be a great help if manufacturers provided some sort of subtle
case marking as a service aid.

Screw together devices often have arrows pointing to the screws
which hold the case together (vs. those which are there to
fasten internal objects to the case itself).

Are there any "things" that just scream "don't bother with this
one; it's going to be a real mess to open"? I.e., aspects
of the packaging that will discourage you from even *trying*
to do a salvageable (i.e., something that *looks* presentable
when reassembled) repair?

E.g., solvent welded cases tell me: "If you are curious as to
what's inside *or* want to see what the problem with this device
*might* be, then feel free to destroy this case to gain entry.
But, don't expect it ever be able to reassemble it in a way
that would ever pass for anything but a piece of patched
together *scrap*!"

(though I often *can* disassemble these cases and reassemble
them without much ugliness)

 

[who where]

On Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:25:48 -0700, D Yuniskis
<not.going.to.be@seen.com> wrote:

Hi Pedro,

pedro wrote:
I regularly repair LCD monitors (as a hobby - at business rates it
makes more sense to replace failed monitors). As you point out, time
to gain entry is often the largest component of the repair. While I
have become reasonably adept at separating cases with minimal cosmetic
damage, some occurs from time to time. Before reassembling the case,

Yes. I find that even if there is no cosmetic damage *visible*
on the outside of the case, I often end up breaking some little
"snap" inside the case. Usually not enough to jeopardize the
case's integrity but annoying for it to happen at all.

I "spot" the locations of the latches with a drill bit, leaving just a
small depression at each - just in case the same monitor comes back.

"Comes back"?? I'll guess that means the repair wasn't quite
up to snuff :

No, it's Applied Murphology. If you prepare for an eventuality it is
less likley to happen. And it hasn't happened *so far*

The All-Bran principle. ("If you eat it, you won't need it.")

I take photos just so I can see roughly where the "snaps"
are located.

You keep ana rchiove of photos?

Often, seeing an item in pieces is enough
to tell me which way to "apply pressure" on a seam, etc.

Usually just applying pressure and locating "stationary points"
reveals where they are, but which type is not always immediately
apparent.

It would be a great help if manufacturers provided some sort of subtle
case marking as a service aid.

Screw together devices often have arrows pointing to the screws
which hold the case together (vs. those which are there to
fasten internal objects to the case itself).

Yes, but of course that is where the manufacturer not only envisages
service but actually encourages repair rather than dumping.

Are there any "things" that just scream "don't bother with this
one; it's going to be a real mess to open"? I.e., aspects
of the packaging that will discourage you from even *trying*
to do a salvageable (i.e., something that *looks* presentable
when reassembled) repair?

E.g., solvent welded cases tell me: "If you are curious as to
what's inside *or* want to see what the problem with this device
*might* be, then feel free to destroy this case to gain entry.
But, don't expect it ever be able to reassemble it in a way
that would ever pass for anything but a piece of patched
together *scrap*!"

(though I often *can* disassemble these cases and reassemble
them without much ugliness)

Laptop SMPS are classical welded packages that defy respectable entry.
Normally they aren't economic to repair anyway.

Had a Belkin wireless router that died from failed caps. That case
was definitely designed for quick_snap_together assembly but
less_than_friendly disassembly.

 

[D Yuniskis]

whit3rd wrote:

On Jan 3, 6:00 pm, who where <no...@home.net> wrote:

Laptop SMPS are classical welded packages that defy respectable entry.
Normally they aren't economic to repair anyway.

Depends on the circumstance; no manufacturer wants to have
product-safety suits, so we see the safety-rated
power modules always as sealed units.

Yes. Though since so many *other* things are also designed to be
"hard to open", one wonders if it isn't just cost savings in
manufacture.

E.g., I recently needed a particular 5V wall wart with center
negative (plus the right barrel ID/OD). I managed to find
one that had a single screw holding the plastic case together
(remove screw, then "snaps" at the other end of the case).

Imagine my delight to find the cord terminated in a nice 2-pin
connector (instead of soldered to the board). Unplug connector,
slide "pins" out, install them in reversed positions, plug in
connector, reassemble case). *Sometimes* things go right! :>

It's definitely easy to repair those SMPS units, I've done
it. As the original poster noted, the time is dominated by
case-rupture; manufacturer choice is NOT friendly to the
tech-savvy consumer. Does anyone believe this is
really a safety issue, though? If the DC cord is

Nowadays, I think even (many) folks who *could* troubleshoot
and repair would simply not bother. "Not worth my time, I'll
just go buy a new one..." (or, use the bad SMPS as an excuse
to buy an entire new *device* -- not just teh SMPS!)

I really do think it is initially motivateed by litigation
("The defendant even put SCREWS on the high voltage power
supply AS IF inviting my client to disassemble it and
suffer the serious injury that resulted..."). So, some
due diligence is involved.

But, I think the biggest issue is probably ease of manufacture.
I.e., solvent weld is a no-brainer operation.

strained, and cracking the case lets you shorten the cable,
how 'unsafe' is the result? I'm thinking, the manufacturer
has a profit-from-repair-parts motive.

Do many people actually *buy* repair parts for things like this?
I would think they are simply discarded along with the associated
piece of kit. We live in a disposable society (at least on
the left side of the pond)... :<

Apple makes their mice that way, too. Yuk.

Apple's approach to things has changed noticeably in the past
10+ years. They've embraced the throwaway society.

 

[whit3rd]

On Jan 3, 6:00 pm, who where <no...@home.net> wrote:

Laptop SMPS are classical welded packages that defy respectable entry.
Normally they aren't economic to repair anyway.

Depends on the circumstance; no manufacturer wants to have
product-safety suits, so we see the safety-rated
power modules always as sealed units.

It's definitely easy to repair those SMPS units, I've done
it. As the original poster noted, the time is dominated by
case-rupture; manufacturer choice is NOT friendly to the
tech-savvy consumer. Does anyone believe this is
really a safety issue, though? If the DC cord is
strained, and cracking the case lets you shorten the cable,
how 'unsafe' is the result? I'm thinking, the manufacturer
has a profit-from-repair-parts motive.

Apple makes their mice that way, too. Yuk.