[Themaintainers] "Design for Disassembly"

[C. Titus Brown]

Via Cool Tools / Gareth’s tips, which is one of my most valuable regular newsletters,

https://kk.org/cooltools/restoring-and-re-creating-an-intimate-contact-vise/

comes this, which seemed really nice and relevant to maintainers:

Mark Frauenfelder posted this Core77 piece on Boing Boing about the concept and practice of DfD:

Design for Disassembly (DfD) is the straightforward design method and philosophy that ensures that all elements of a product can be disassembled for repair and for “end of life.” This allows for and encourages repairs, with the result that a product’s life cycle is prolonged; and it allows for a product to be taken apart at the end of its life so that each component can be reclaimed as a technical nutrient (i.e. recycled) or biological nutrient (i.e. composted). Among other shifts in thinking and making, this means minimizing materials, using simple mechanical fasteners instead of adhesives, clearly labeling components with their material type, and ensuring components can be disassembled with everyday tools.

When I broke the glass vessel of my French press this weekend, I ordered a replacement vessel instead of purchasing an entirely new coffee maker. This was only possible because my French press was designed so that it could be easily disassembled. On the other hand, my electric kettle has started to leak. There are no small screws for me to open it – in fact, it’s mostly glued together. This means that when I finally cave and admit that this kettle is broken, I have no way to repair it and no way to recycle its parts. In contrast to the French press, the product was not designed for disassembly. My only option is to throw it out, and to buy a new one.

https://www.core77.com/posts/109506/Design-for-Disassembly-This-Old-Idea-is-the-Wave-of-the-Future