3D Printing stuff - hostile takeover of Planned Obsolescence thread

[pmrid (Peter)]

I have a theory - or to be honest, someone else had it well before me. Planned obsolescence. ANyone else read those Vance Packard book way back when Ralph Nader was the great consumer champion?

Anyway, I digress. I have just had another few example of how a shard of plastic keeps most machines together.

A smoke alarm - getting it off the ceiling for cleaning broke a tiny plastic tab - which turns out to be what holds the thing in its cradle. No tab, no hold. New Smokle alrarm on order.

Second example, an electric chainsaw - oil feed to the cutter bar turned out to be via a bit of plastic tube which, on opening the beast up for inspection, had crumbled into flakes and shards and the oil reservoir was emptying into the electric motor housing.

Third example, a hand drill - good brand - worked well, no mechanical or electrical problems, But the plastic case just split in half at the elbow where handle meets top part. Vendor said "tough". Very impressed. Just plastic. But what rubbish.

If these were isolated examples, I'd probably not be on my high horse. But they aren't. I reckon there are thousands of similar stories out there. A bit of plastic breaks and it's cheaper to buy a new one than go through the rigmarole of returning to manufacturer/vendor who will, most probably either ignore you or fob you off.

DOn't you just love it!!

Peter

[AndrewJ]

Gday Peter

someone else had it well before me. Planned obsolescence.

Ref the first and best masters of the game.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/h...ulb-conspiracy
I really liked the bit on how they actually did quite a lot of research and spent a LOT of money on making sure the devices were so well made that they failed at the given time. ( Bit like printer cartridges )
Andrew

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

There are two causes of this, but it's largely the fault of the consumer (and the horse has bolted. I can't see any way of going back). If we didn't buy this stuff, they wouldn't sell it.
The amount of manufacturing that has gone broke in Australia because a cheaper version of the same thing is now made in China is just staggering.
Have a look at the lines of people ready to go out and buy the next marginally better iPhone, when they already have a perfectly functioning one that will likely be thrown away. There's no reason at all for the manufacturer to make something that lasts more than a year or so.

The other is deliberate, planned obsolesence. I remember being taught about it at uni (engineering degree.) When the consumer has killed off any manufacturer who makes products built to last, this is all you are left with.

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

Gday Peter

Ref the first and best masters of the game.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/h...ulb-conspiracy
I really liked the bit on how they actually did quite a lot of research and spent a LOT of money on making sure the devices were so well made that they failed at the given time. ( Bit like printer cartridges )
Andrew

On the topic of lightbulbs, we were also taught another interesting fact at uni.
One of the lecturers was involved in a project testing fluorescent tubes from different brands. When analysing the light spectrum and physical characteristics from different brands at different prices, the inescapable conclusion was that this was the exact same tube. He even went so far as to say he believed them all to originate from the same factory.

[AndrewJ]

Gday Ben

Sounds like a lot of telescope stuff these days.
All made in one place and given a different coat of paint/sticker.

Andrew

[eddiedunlop (Martin)]

Originally Posted by pmrid

A bit of plastic breaks and it's cheaper to buy a new one than go through the rigmarole of returning to manufacturer/vendor who will, most probably either ignore you or fob you off.

3-D printing may be a game changer once it's cheaper and more easily accessible.

[Larryp (Laurie)]

An friend of mine used to be the financial controller for a very popular brand of power tools and gardening equipment. He told me that the service life for their less expensive range of electric drills was only one hour!
He pointed out that the average home handyman would actually take a while to use the drill for one hour, but I guess that's the planned obsolescence we get today.

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

99% of todays car,s front and rear "Clips" are held on by your plastic tabs/clips hence the name and you see quite a few older cars driving around with them hanging off , broken plastic tabs , rubbish!!.

Brian.

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

Originally Posted by eddiedunlop

3-D printing may be a game changer once it's cheaper and more easily accessible.

I hope so.

[AndrewJ]

unless your printer is also built with planned obsolescence in it
Just imagine yr printer wears down and you cant print new
bits for it ( guides, brgs, motors etc ), and no one keeps spares.

Andrew

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

The natural progression is for 3D printers that can print in different materials. Probably a long way off though.
Would be interesting how this gets handled from a copyright point of view.

[AndrewJ]

I like the idea someone floated of using stripped down food chemicals in cartridges such that you can print a "meal" Yummmmmmm
As to 3D printing in other materials, the stuff being printed using titanium etc for medical, auto and aerospace is already here.
Ref http://3dprinting.com/metal/
http://3dprintingsystems.com/additiv...-using-metals/
etc
The resolution they can get with this stuff is just mind boggling,
( as is the price at present )

Andrew

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Originally Posted by AussieTrooper

On the topic of lightbulbs, we were also taught another interesting fact at uni.
One of the lecturers was involved in a project testing fluorescent tubes from different brands. When analysing the light spectrum and physical characteristics from different brands at different prices, the inescapable conclusion was that this was the exact same tube. He even went so far as to say he believed them all to originate from the same factory.

I have a pair of AR speakers of mid-70's vintage. In those days the bass drivers had foam edge supports. These eventually went brittle and fell apart. A mate who is in the sound game said I could either by original AR drivers or other drivers with exactly the same specifications that were made in the same factory but sold for about a fifth the price. Guess what I did? They sound better (tighter) than the originals.

[julianh72 (Julian)]

Originally Posted by eddiedunlop

3-D printing may be a game changer once it's cheaper and more easily accessible.

Well, since you can pick up a 3D printer for around a grand or less at mainstream bricks-and-mortar retailers (and even less if you shop on-line or build your own), the game has already changed for some of us! There is a rapidly growing number of council libraries and the like where you can access a 3D printer for the cost of the consumables - check your local library service's web page to see if they have any.

When something breaks in our house, the first thing I do is take a look and see if I can replicate the broken part on my 3D printer. It's surprising how often you can - and how often you can make the replacement part stronger than the original.

There's an undeniable personal pride from using something that you saved from a one-way trip to the dump!

[julianh72 (Julian)]

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

unless your printer is also built with planned obsolescence in it
Just imagine yr printer wears down and you cant print new
bits for it ( guides, brgs, motors etc ), and no one keeps spares.

Andrew

The commercial 3D printers are indeed designed as "appliances" with built-in obsolescence - built down to a price, and designed to lock you into buying the manufacturer's filaments and spare parts. (Just like 2D printers - they practically give them away, but the ink cartridges cost as much as liquid gold!)

No such issues if you buy or build an "open source" design (based on the RepRap project designs http://reprap.org/wiki/Main_Page ) - all the plans are available on-line (including those for all commercial derivations which are based on earlier designs, due to the open-source licensing model), which means you can make upgrades for your machine as the designs improve. RepRap 3D printers were conceived from the get-go to maximise the amount of printable parts, and those bits which are not printable are designed to use widely available bog-standard components (steel rods, stepper motors, bearings, etc) which you may have lying around at home, or can pick up at the local hardware store.

If you find a non-standard component such as a stepper motor that you want to use (e.g. from a discarded scanner or printer), and you can't find an existing design based on it, you measure it and design and print the mount and install it. You may need to do a bit of experimenting with the firmware to allow for its operating characteristics (e.g. number of steps per full rotation), but that's standard practice for calibrating and tuning your printer even when you build to a standard design, and it's half the fun of an open-source 3D printer!

Sure, some component designs use custom-machined components or exotic materials, but there is always a cheap, simple alternative.

And even when your printer breaks a part that you don't have a spare for, you can print it on a mate's machine or at the local library.

[Neutronstar (T)]

One trick with 3D printing is not owning one.

IF you can design the part you can always upload the design to a 3D printing service. They will 3D print with all sorts of materials including gold and platinum. Then they post the part. Install it.

The trick will be to get your design correct. The software is even free.

PS: I won't list any services, google is your friend.

[AndrewJ]

Gday Julian

I have no probs with the current units printing in extruded plastic at relatively coarse sizes being "disposable".
I was more thinking about really useful 3D printing in metals using laser / ion beam deposition etc.
It would be like having a "precise parts" shop in yr spare room :-), as you would then have the accuracy to print fine threads etc that wont crumble or fall apart under a bit of load.
Machines like that wont be "appliances", and based on the fact they would be able to print "weapons", i dont think they will become available for the hoi polloi any time in the near future.
Andrew

[julianh72 (Julian)]

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

I was more thinking about really useful 3D printing in metals using laser / ion beam deposition etc.

You might be surprised to see what is already available from commercial on-line 3D printing services. Stainless steel, bronze, brass etc are already available for a couple of dollars per cc of finished product. (I imagine they take a look at uploaded files to see if they look like gun parts before they send the parts back to you. Hint: Calling your uploaded file "Kalashnikov_Firing_Pin.stl" would probably trigger a few alarms!)

There are a number of people working on home-built metal printing technologies, with some success, but it's fair to say that an affordable desktop machine which can make solid steel nuts and bolts is a little way off - but probably closer than you realise. While commercial machines capable of working in pure metal are still pretty expensive, you can already buy metal-filled plastic filament that will work in off-the-shelf consumer-grade 3D printers.

Eg 80% bronze (or copper) / 20% PLA filament will make parts which can be sanded and polished to a high metallic shine with virtually no visible 3D printing layers, and can be finished and machined like solid metal parts. The finished printed parts aren't as strong as solid metal, but they're a reasonable alternative for many applications.

You can buy these metal-filled filaments for about $90 per 750 g reel ($0.12 per gram - or less than a dollar per cc).

[julianh72 (Julian)]

Originally Posted by Neutronstar

One trick with 3D printing is not owning one.

IF you can design the part you can always upload the design to a 3D printing service. They will 3D print with all sorts of materials including gold and platinum. Then they post the part. Install it.

The trick will be to get your design correct. The software is even free.

If you need high-strength parts (or exotic materials etc), it is a good idea to 3D print your prototypes in low-cost plastic, either on your own printer, or at the library etc. Do your concept design and design development for fit and function etc using low cost plastic, and only commit to more expensive materials when you have a good working design. You can do several iterations for the design of a small part in an evening, and then place your final order for the real thing with a high degree of confidence that it will be what you want.

(In fact, that's EXACTLY what happens in industrial "rapid prototyping" workshops!)

[AndrewJ]

Gday Julian

... machine which can make solid steel nuts and bolts is a little way off - but probably closer than you realise.

I have been following the evolution of these higher quality devices for a while, so have a good idea of what is possible commercially.
I was looking more at making stuff with astro sized threads built in using "consumer" 3D units.
Looking at this
http://www.designboom.com/technology...crostructures/
shows the precision can be achieved easily, just a matter of strength and durability of the finished product.
In theory, the machine should be relatively cheap once all the design problems re calibration etc get refined, but i doubt the govt would want these things in the wild.
Imagine being able to "print" a custom designed thin wall OTA for a refractor etc "in the shed" :-)

Andrew