4 ms·

There is a choice to pay 4 cents or 6 cents for a capacitor in your electronic devices.

waste_monk 2y ago
"There is no choice" - clueless MBA
Scoundreller 2y ago
There was a Leviton (well known brand) timer power switch that would prematurely fail. They spec’d out too low temperature rating of a capacitor that was right next to a heat source and cook itself to death: https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=315&v=BQM4ERy-wpY https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=315&v=BQM4ERy-wpY https://electronupdate.blogspot.com/2017/12/leviton-ltb30-buzzing-timer-failure.html?m=1 https://electronupdate.blogspot.com/2017/12/leviton-ltb30-bu... So yeah, tried too hard to save 2 cents
- klysm 2y ago
  That's not a 'saving 2 cents problem', that's a failure to recognize the thermal environment and requirements for a component, which is kind of my entire point: engineering isn't easy.
  - Dylan16807 2y ago
    The 6 cent capacitor is more durable and can absorb an error like that without the product failing. Like they say that anyone can overbuild a bridge but only an engineer can make it barely stand up. A lot of that cost cutting is useful but it tends to go too far.
    - ReptileMan 2y ago
      >Like they say that anyone can overbuild a bridge but only an engineer can make it barely stand up The majority of biggest suspension bridges if I remember correctly are barely standing up. They use above 80% of the cables carrying capacity for themselves.
    - yard2010 2y ago
      Same point: anyone can build a submarine that gets to the Titanic.
      - eschneider 2y ago
        Yeah. Anyone can get to the bottom of the ocean. Getting back up alive involves more skill.
AngryData 2y ago
But unless you spend the effort to personally test those 2 cent more expensive parts, how do you know you are actually getting more for your money until after your or your customer's shit is broken? Even if you do test it, you might need to retest those same parts a year or two down the line as either your suppliers equipment wears down, or the skimp on QC more over time, or if they just outsource it to someone else as a middle man. There is a lot of room in there for people to get fleeced because everybody is playing the same game all the way down the line to the hole they dug the minerals out of.
klysm 2y ago
That's like the simplest possible case, and it's not even that clear cut. The truth is nobody has any idea which capacitor is going to last longer. Things like fatigue failure, surface wear, vibration, corrosion, etc. and super hard. Entropy is a real bitch and it comes for everything.
bayindirh 2y ago
Your CEO will be very upset when they find out that their probable bonus is used on "useless" capacitors, 2 cents at a time. Instead, you should use 2 cent capacitors and pay him the rest for the ingenuity. /s

"There is no choice" - clueless MBA

There was a Leviton (well known brand) timer power switch that would prematurely fail. They spec’d out too low temperature rating of a capacitor that was right next to a heat source and cook itself to death: https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=315&v=BQM4ERy-wpY https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=315&v=BQM4ERy-wpY https://electronupdate.blogspot.com/2017/12/leviton-ltb30-buzzing-timer-failure.html?m=1 https://electronupdate.blogspot.com/2017/12/leviton-ltb30-bu... So yeah, tried too hard to save 2 cents

klysm 2y ago
That's not a 'saving 2 cents problem', that's a failure to recognize the thermal environment and requirements for a component, which is kind of my entire point: engineering isn't easy.
- Dylan16807 2y ago
  The 6 cent capacitor is more durable and can absorb an error like that without the product failing. Like they say that anyone can overbuild a bridge but only an engineer can make it barely stand up. A lot of that cost cutting is useful but it tends to go too far.
  - ReptileMan 2y ago
    >Like they say that anyone can overbuild a bridge but only an engineer can make it barely stand up The majority of biggest suspension bridges if I remember correctly are barely standing up. They use above 80% of the cables carrying capacity for themselves.
  - yard2010 2y ago
    Same point: anyone can build a submarine that gets to the Titanic.
    - eschneider 2y ago
      Yeah. Anyone can get to the bottom of the ocean. Getting back up alive involves more skill.

AngryData 2y ago

But unless you spend the effort to personally test those 2 cent more expensive parts, how do you know you are actually getting more for your money until after your or your customer's shit is broken? Even if you do test it, you might need to retest those same parts a year or two down the line as either your suppliers equipment wears down, or the skimp on QC more over time, or if they just outsource it to someone else as a middle man. There is a lot of room in there for people to get fleeced because everybody is playing the same game all the way down the line to the hole they dug the minerals out of.

klysm 2y ago

That's like the simplest possible case, and it's not even that clear cut. The truth is nobody has any idea which capacitor is going to last longer. Things like fatigue failure, surface wear, vibration, corrosion, etc. and super hard. Entropy is a real bitch and it comes for everything.

bayindirh 2y ago

Your CEO will be very upset when they find out that their probable bonus is used on "useless" capacitors, 2 cents at a time. Instead, you should use 2 cent capacitors and pay him the rest for the ingenuity. /s