I see what you're saying, and I'm sure mechanical engineers have been involved who know what they're doing. It might not be as simple as it seems. On the other

I see what you're saying, and I'm sure mechanical engineers have been involved who know what they're doing. It might not be as simple as it seems. On the other hand, sometimes a product really is behind the times. This is probably a relatively small, niche market. Most of your sales probably happen only when a new bowling alley is built. Outsiders might not want to invest in trying to break into the market. It's expensive to create a new design and set up a factory. And then you have to convince buyers to buy from you, the upstart, instead of companies that have been selling pinsetters since the 1950s. And if you succeed, the reward might not be that large. The established companies might have a perverse incentive against innovating. The machines seem to do the job but require a good amount of maintenance, so the manufacturers might get a nice, steady stream of income from replacement parts and/or service contracts. Even if they are interested in updating the design, it's probably a safer bet financially to make incremental improvements instead of a radical redesign. (Why rock the boat if you're making money?) None of this means necessarily means that the traditional pinsetter isn't as good as it can get. I just think it could either way. Now that I think of it, if a better/safer/cheaper (non-string) pinsetter is possible, ironically maybe the threat of string pinsetters could be what brings it about. If the traditional pinsetter manufacturers see their business threatened (for the first time in decades), maybe it will force their hands and they'll take a risk on a radical redesign.