GPS makes you dumber

[David Horn]

(07-21-2017, 10:11 PM)X_4AD_84 Wrote: Reparability and maintainability is an engineering discipline unto its self. However, it requires lots of diligence and creativity early in the design process. Often times, a designer resents input from experts in this field, because it forces the designer into certain constraints and may slightly increase the overall part count (especially interconnects and fasteners). Also on that score, enter also the bean counter. Still, having highly repairable and maintainable cars, consumer electronics, etc, is very possible. Were humanity to adopt a true Green philosophy, maintainability and reparability would be easily justified due to their reduction of total life cycle costs born currently by The Commons and the consumer. BTW, the same features of good maintainability and reparability also tend to make field upgrades far more viable, just saying.

As the use of automated fabrication increases, the cost of goods drop.  This is a net good, but it also makes reparability a less valuable trait.  Yes, an iPhone costs a lot at retail, but it actually costs less than $20 to make.  Why not just replace it under a long term warranty plan, and everyone comes out ahead ... or so the logic goes. 

Few things are fully worth the cost of repairing them anymore, and those that are need special tools and/or expertise.  When you send that failed iPhone off to be "recycled", it may be repaired or scrapped, but it won't be repaired by an old-time bench technician with a few hand tools and a soldering iron.  It's a quick turn or salvage.