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"makes sense given their cost." OP indicates that the TBMs cost US$15MM each. I'm surprised they're so cheap. Those things are 50m long and full of complicated
by WildUtah 11y ago
"makes sense given their cost."
OP indicates that the TBMs cost US$15MM each. I'm surprised they're so cheap. Those things are 50m long and full of complicated parts. It seems like the electronics and custom steel parts would cost that much and the actual design, construction, building, and testing the thing would cost several times as much.
At US$15MM, the labor to run them or even just to do maintenance would cost much more than the machines themselves.
- nly 11y agoI thought that sounded cheap too, especially for such a niche market where they can probably afford to mark up.
- msandford 11y agoYes it's a niche market, but the markup isn't there because the companies that make TBMs don't actually MAKE much of them. There are probably 100 or more companies that make the parts and the company that says "that'll be $15mm please" doesn't do a lot more than put together the design from the various parts and contract everything to be produced, manufactured, etc. What they do have that you or I don't is contacts and business relationships with all the various suppliers and the knowledge of the myraid things that you need besides a bit spinny thing at the front, the conveyors that move the stuff out, and the hydraulics that move it forwards. In a very basic sense that's all a TBM is. But of course it probably does at least 20 other things that are absolutely vital to it functioning properly and efficiently. But if a few senior guys decided that they wanted to work for themselves they could probably take enough supplier relationships and domain knowledge and start up another TBM company.
- tobylane 11y agoThe teeth need replacing often, even in the relatively soft gravel and clay below London.