A Short Centrifuge Story

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GerryR
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Joined: Sun May 22, 2022 11:44 am
Location: Virginia, USA

A Short Centrifuge Story

#1 Post by GerryR » Fri Aug 12, 2022 9:18 pm

A short story:
I was looking for a small variable speed centrifuge (see previous thread) and ran across this on Ebay for $53.00, shipped. The seller indicated it had an error code E36, no brake after run. I was able to find a service manual with schematics and downloaded it prior to purchase. The brake circuit was rather simple, but the manual stated that, if the braking resistor tests good, then the whole main board would have to be replaced. So, I took a chance and ordered it. The replacement resistor costs ~$50.00 and the main board ~$950.00.
Upon receiving the unit, I dove right into it. As soon as I started to remove the cover, I knew the cover had been previously removed, because the screws were all loose, and I immediately suspected the brake resistor wasn't the problem, and I was correct. The seller, or whoever, in my opinion, obviously sold this knowing it would take the main board to correct the problem, or so he thought. This is deceptive sales to say the least! (Watch out for Ebay sales; ask lots of questions!!)
Well, to keep the story somewhat short, having the schematics allowed me to do component-level troubleshooting. The brake-chopper IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) was shorted. The module containing the IGBT was replaced for $60.00. This unit normally sells for $2450.00 new, so I don’t feel bad at all with a total of ~$110.00 and a couple of hours time involved. Pictures below:
Attachments
AccuSpin Micro 17_5.jpg
AccuSpin Micro 17_5.jpg (82.67 KiB) Viewed 1856 times
AccuSpin Micro 17_1.jpg
AccuSpin Micro 17_1.jpg (136.92 KiB) Viewed 1856 times

Dubious
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Joined: Sun May 09, 2021 7:55 pm

Re: A Short Centrifuge Story

#2 Post by Dubious » Sat Aug 13, 2022 6:17 am

Kudos on the repair and on giving the centrifuge a new lease on life and keeping it out of landfill--always a win-win!

GerryR
Posts: 183
Joined: Sun May 22, 2022 11:44 am
Location: Virginia, USA

Re: A Short Centrifuge Story

#3 Post by GerryR » Sat Aug 13, 2022 11:24 am

Dubious wrote:
Sat Aug 13, 2022 6:17 am
Kudos on the repair and on giving the centrifuge a new lease on life and keeping it out of landfill--always a win-win!
I find it rather distressing that companies refuse to repair items, such as these, down to the component level and only want to replace complete modules at extreme costs. This was definitely a win-win in this situation, but I've been on the loosing end of such "deals." We are, and have been, in a throw-away world for sometime now. There is a moral to this story, deception, many times, costs the deceiver, and companies that don't service their products properly end up losing out in the long run. If you could see how well this particular unit is constructed, it would have been really easy for the company to offer a "swap-out" policy for a fraction of the cost of a complete new main board, and they could have repaired the board and had it ready for the next customer. Customer "service" isn't what it once was. I'll get off my soap box now. ;)

Alexander
Posts: 400
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:10 pm

Re: A Short Centrifuge Story

#4 Post by Alexander » Sat Aug 13, 2022 11:36 am

This is a very nice centrifuge! Congrats on the successful repair.

Sure Squintsalot
Posts: 393
Joined: Mon May 16, 2022 3:44 pm

Re: A Short Centrifuge Story

#5 Post by Sure Squintsalot » Sat Aug 13, 2022 3:14 pm

GerryR wrote:
Sat Aug 13, 2022 11:24 am
I find it rather distressing that companies refuse to repair items, such as these, down to the component level and only want to replace complete modules at extreme costs. This was definitely a win-win in this situation, but I've been on the loosing end of such "deals." We are, and have been, in a throw-away world for sometime now. There is a moral to this story, deception, many times, costs the deceiver, and companies that don't service their products properly end up losing out in the long run. If you could see how well this particular unit is constructed, it would have been really easy for the company to offer a "swap-out" policy for a fraction of the cost of a complete new main board, and they could have repaired the board and had it ready for the next customer. Customer "service" isn't what it once was. I'll get off my soap box now. ;)
(Gets on Gerry's soapbox)....and furthermore...

The future will see most things become repairable. Unfortunately, YOU won't be allowed to repair them without risking a voided warranty, blacklisting, fines, lawsuit, and maybe even jail time. A throwaway society is unsustainable, but as repairing stuff becomes critical, the industry will act to protect its bottom line with mandatory maintenance contracts, irreplaceable or code-locked parts, first right of refusal on resales, limited ownerships, and even legislating outright bans on DIY repairs. People like the OP are future Harry Tuttles:

(Gets off soapbox)

PeteM
Posts: 2963
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 6:22 am
Location: N. California

Re: A Short Centrifuge Story

#6 Post by PeteM » Sat Aug 13, 2022 6:55 pm

Entertaining clip. Probably needs a software update, though. These days, we're adding software to most every product - our refrigerators, washing machines, etc. want to chat, talk, text, and be "friends" with us. That software is now protected by the Digital Millenium Copyright Act and a host of legalese we "agree" to rather than read (knowing also there's really no choice). That act makes it illegal to modify or repair the product you've just bought (should it contain any software). No more replacing the firmware equivalent of an IGBT, even if you have the skills to do so.

As a practical matter, we no longer buy autos, appliances, consumer electronics, even microscopes at the high end or cheap ones with a digital camera lodged in the optical path. Instead, we essentially rent them until the maker decides to end support. I spent much of a happy career dealing with engineering software. The use of software to accelerate planned obsolescence and artificially boost profits, however, is perverse.

As others have said, it's unsustainable. Buy something like a good coffee grinder or dehumidifier and it used to last 20 years or more. Microscopes - 50 years or more. What's on offer now is often something half the cost that gets thrown away (or made obsolete) with several of them pitched in a landfill in the same period of time. We end up consuming 2x or 3x the resources -- often to have a series of brief and unsatisfying flings with fickle and unreliable products.

Alexander
Posts: 400
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:10 pm

Re: A Short Centrifuge Story

#7 Post by Alexander » Sat Aug 13, 2022 7:42 pm

There is a reason why the EU is already working on some law to force vendors to make their products repairable and to provide information, software updates and parts for longer periods.

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