13 Nov
2022
13 Nov
'22
3:18 p.m.
On 11/13/22 15:45, Steve Lewis via cctalk wrote:
True, I'd have to assume actual usage degrades the
longevity of some
electronics (and number of hot/cold cycles). But there is still some
natural shelf-life decay (maybe moisture in the air can find its way, even
in what should be sealed components).
Yup, I have a ~ year 2000 pick and place machine. It was
last used in about 2006 and then abandoned in Austin, TX. I
bought it at auction in 2020, so it had been sitting for
about 14 years, likely in unconditioned air space. It fired
right up the first time I tried, and I cloned the hard
drive. Then, 2 days later it would not come out of E-stop.
Lots of boards went bad over time, and are still going out.
Nothing I have replaced has failed, and all repair parts
must be about the same vintage. So, yes, sitting in warm,
humid conditions for a long time apparently is NOT good for
electronics. Funny, the man-machine interface computer is a
consumer-grade PC, I think it is original, and is still
chugging along. VME boards and industrial servo drives have
gone out.
Jon