4 ms·

I'd argue that additional incentives (or punishments, if the carrot doesn't work) for manufacturers to use common parts would be welcome. I have a Samsung frid

I'd argue that additional incentives (or punishments, if the carrot doesn't work) for manufacturers to use common parts would be welcome. I have a Samsung fridge/freezer with a broken shelf because the parts of the shelf were held together with an insufficiently strong plastic clip. Imagine my surprise when upon research I discovered the fridge was discontinued and the shelf was unique to the fridge. No other model had that shelf, it was like Samsung specifically used that particular plastic mold for this model purely to drive new appliance sales when it inevitably breaks.

zbrozek 4y ago
I've gotten excellent utility out of my 3D printer for stuff like that.
- londons_explore 4y ago
  Make sure to upload designs online... I frequently need to repair some small plastic thing - the latest being making a new piston for my bike pump. When it's a matter of 10 mins online and clicking print, it's great. But when I have to spend a few hours 3d modelling the exact shape, and then reprinting it 3 times because it's slightly wrong, the time-money tradeoff of just buying a new fridge isn't so good...
  - zbrozek 4y ago
    I do, but not every time. I got a DMCA takedown notice on one replacement part I designed. I challenged it and got it reinstated, but it left me a little bitter. Regarding spending hours on design... yeah, that part is a drag. I've done this enough times now that I'm just a lot faster than I used to be, and I also have a pretty good idea of what tiny portions of a design to print to do fit checks. But getting there certainly took some practice.
dec0dedab0de 4y ago
Sounds like a business opportunity. If a third party hasn't made any yet they likely will soon. One problem with encouraging common parts is that it may limit innovation, and it may also incentivize a manufacturer to keep a flawed design. It's just as likely that samsung realized the shelves in that model sucked and made a new one. I think it would be better to mandate manufacturers keep stock of replacement parts for X amount of years, and/or they must release design documentation for third parties to make parts.

zbrozek 4y ago

I've gotten excellent utility out of my 3D printer for stuff like that.

londons_explore 4y ago
Make sure to upload designs online... I frequently need to repair some small plastic thing - the latest being making a new piston for my bike pump. When it's a matter of 10 mins online and clicking print, it's great. But when I have to spend a few hours 3d modelling the exact shape, and then reprinting it 3 times because it's slightly wrong, the time-money tradeoff of just buying a new fridge isn't so good...
- zbrozek 4y ago
  I do, but not every time. I got a DMCA takedown notice on one replacement part I designed. I challenged it and got it reinstated, but it left me a little bitter. Regarding spending hours on design... yeah, that part is a drag. I've done this enough times now that I'm just a lot faster than I used to be, and I also have a pretty good idea of what tiny portions of a design to print to do fit checks. But getting there certainly took some practice.

dec0dedab0de 4y ago

Sounds like a business opportunity. If a third party hasn't made any yet they likely will soon. One problem with encouraging common parts is that it may limit innovation, and it may also incentivize a manufacturer to keep a flawed design. It's just as likely that samsung realized the shelves in that model sucked and made a new one. I think it would be better to mandate manufacturers keep stock of replacement parts for X amount of years, and/or they must release design documentation for third parties to make parts.