Products > Other Equipment & Products

Why does simple solder fume extractor cost £850?

(1/4) > >>

Faringdon:
Hi Folks,
We had a £850 solder fume extractor and it broke down.
I opened it up to fix it….and at that price, expected to see some “wonder-tronics” inside…but no….
It was name-plated at “85W, 90-265VAC, MADE IN CHINA”, but mains input SMPS was plain old Flyback, 24vout,  with no PFC. Very simple UC3842 one. This fed a dirt simple 3 phase BLDC drive board, using MC33035 in a simplified version of the App Note schematic. This then fed the fixed speed fan. The SMPS was open frame, and  its earth input also went to a huge 70cm by 30cm , 5mm thick, steel plate, on which the SMPS, BLDC drive, and fan , all were mounted. Absolutely no need for such a big heavy metal plate…what a waste. Manufacturing energy to make it must have been very big and wasteful. Outer enclosure was just plastic.

The big metal plate was not at all used for heatsinking. The six TO220 BLDC FETs were mounted Surface mount style on FR4 PCB with no heatsink..just a small  bit of copper pour. One of the FETs had gone short. It was badly charred, along with the PCB around it. Replacing the FET and the MC33035 , AND, dabbing solder on the SMD terminals of all of the res and caps on the BLDC board, fixed it.
The BLDC board was mounted via 4 holes on to 4 metal “split pin” pinions…getting the BLDC PCB on or off those pinions required massive pressure, involving  unfortunate flexing of the BLDC PCB…I could not get the BLDC board off without using a dirty great screwdriver as a lever.
So, was anyone thinking that getting stuff made in China was cheaper?
This isn’t knocking China…they are perfectly honorable in this, simply servicing orders from Middle men in UK.

So howcome this heap of trash cost £840? Was it the “middle man cut”?

wraper:

--- Quote ---This fed a dirt simple 3 phase BLDC drive board, using MC33035 in a simplified version of the App Note schematic. This then fed the fixed speed fan.
--- End quote ---
Makes no sense whatsoever.

ataradov:
Cost this much where? Can you link to the product page? The primary theory here is that you were being stupid and overpaid for something, as usual with you.

Faringdon:
Its a well known product unique in its size (~50cm x 70cm x 30cm) and curved box like appearance, usually grey ish color, youll find it if you search web.

ataradov:
Dude, WTF is wrong with you?

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page