We're having a discussion re: choice of fasteners.
The guy doing the bulk of the packaging design is
advocating for screws: "It makes disassembly and
reassembly easier".

Well, yes, but disassembly is something that we
rarely plan on doing -- which means REassembly is
equally unlikely!

So, then, it boils down to ASSEMBLY (and integrity
of the bond).

The devices are tiny -- nothing larger than one of
those "jumbo packs" of "stick" gum (25 pieces??).
Or, maybe a stack of 100 "quality" business cards.

Being small, real estate is at a premium. So,
fasteners need to be small.

I've advocated for clamping the assembly from
the outside -- a tight fitting (clam)shell that
wraps around everything, holding everything in
place as well as offering some protection to
the assembly.

[Any other fastener approach would similarly have
to add some sort of "enclosure"]

I can't imagine any sort of volume production using,
e.g., M1.6s -- or smaller!

And, I'm not keen on adhesives (or potting -- except
as maybe otherwise required).

This, of course, assumes you have more than a single
PCB to "assemble"...

On a sunny day (Tue, 27 Feb 2024 15:04:06 -0700) it happened Don Y
<blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote in <urlm8m$3e933$1@dont-email.me>:

>We're having a discussion re: choice of fasteners.
>The guy doing the bulk of the packaging design is
>advocating for screws: "It makes disassembly and
>reassembly easier".

There are law for repairability

On 2024/02/27 2:04 p.m., Don Y wrote:
> We're having a discussion re: choice of fasteners.
> The guy doing the bulk of the packaging design is
> advocating for screws:  "It makes disassembly and
> reassembly easier".
>
>
If I had a vote, I say make it easy to take apart as something will go
wrong - sooner or later. Unless this is meant to be tossed when it dies!
John :-#)#
--
(Please post followups or tech inquiries to the USENET newsgroup)
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#7 - 3979 Marine Way, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5J 5E3
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"Old pinballers never die, they just flip out."

On 2/27/2024 11:59 PM, John Robertson wrote:
> On 2024/02/27 2:04 p.m., Don Y wrote:
>> We're having a discussion re: choice of fasteners.
>> The guy doing the bulk of the packaging design is
>> advocating for screws:  "It makes disassembly and
>> reassembly easier".
>
> If I had a vote, I say make it easy to take apart as something will go wrong -
> sooner or later. Unless this is meant to be tossed when it dies!

But what do you think YOU can do to fix that "wrong"?
The boards are tiny, chock full of BGAs and 0201 RPAKs, etc.
Can you even *probe* these parts?

Disk drives fail; how often do you *repair* them?
Ditto home thermostats. Ever repair the controller
in your furnace? Washing machine? Microwave oven?
Garage door opener (and that's likely still thruhole!)

(I've chosen each of these as I imagine each is on
the order of a $100 item -- even if part of a more
costly "system")

Sure *someone* can repair them -- *if* the parts
and documents are made available (and their time
had no value).

We've looked, carefully, at the choice of FRUs to
support; how much does an assembly have to be worth
to make stocking spares (AND a repair/test procedure)
make sense ECONOMICALLY?

Look at HP's consumer inkjets... three components:
- a power supply (solvent welded shut)
- electronics on a single board hanging off the back ("bag")
- all the rest

You *know* the depot just pulls the boards off the
printers, runs them through a test cycle and restocks
any that test good. The mechanisms ("all the rest")
likely get tossed in the "plastics to be recycled" bin.

What percentage of boards fail test? Are they repaired?
Or, just discarded as "warranty costs"?

On 2/27/24 23:04, Don Y wrote:

>
> I can't imagine any sort of volume production using,
> e.g.,  M1.6s -- or smaller!

well, have a look at almost any laptop etc.

On 2/28/2024 10:02 AM, Lasse Langwadt wrote:
> On 2/27/24 23:04, Don Y wrote:
>
>>
>> I can't imagine any sort of volume production using,
>> e.g.,  M1.6s -- or smaller!
>
> well, have a look at almost any laptop etc.

Those are *intended* to be serviced and, as such, have to walk a fine
line between size and (re)assembly cost.