Large Scale Central

Would this be a good example

Electronics Power and Sound
#1

…of the quality of the new AristoCraft tender mounted Plug’n’Play socket pcb?

A brand new Pacific loco tender that was like this out of the box for a Remote Control Systems battery R/C and P8 sound installation. The corrosion was easy enough to remove and the pcb lacquered, but I ask you…? Not good enough AristoCraft. I will show progress on the installation next week after the battery packs arrive. Incidentally this tender does not have a rear mounted light but there are two pads on the pcb for Rear Light wiring.

#2

Was it the fault of Aristo-Craft or the supplier of the PC board?
Does A-C build the boards in-house?
Could the corrosion developed after the board was built and installed wet? (Maybe the 9 year old Chinese girl on the assembly line dripped some sweat while in the shop on the board before closing up the tender. ??) :wink:

#3

Still, it boils down to QC. If it was the supplier, the factory should have noticed it and rejected the part.

#4
Steve Featherkile said:
Still, it boils down to QC. If it was the supplier, the factory should have noticed it and rejected the part.
Aristo Craft is neither the factory nor the supplier. The fault lies in China. No surprise, as I would say 1/3 to 1/2 of the electronics I purchase have to be returned as defective. The last cell phone I bought, I had to return 3 times before I got one that worked. And this was a "dumb" phone. Very basic and unsophisticated. Ralph
#5

I didn’t say that AC was the factory, I just said the factory… RTFS! :stuck_out_tongue:

Landlubbers!

#6

Aristo has their name on the box. It is their problem! I’m guessing this board never made its trip through the board cleaner after the reflow oven, or the cleaner had serious problems. When the corrosion first appeared? prior to installation? Don’t know.

#7
Steve Featherkile said:
I didn't say that AC was the factory, I just said the factory... RTFS! :P

Landlubbers!


I didn’t say you did :stuck_out_tongue:
Ralph

#8

The surface mount chip that is so crooked that it barely makes contact with the intended pads, along with the through hole capacitor that appears to be only partially inserted would never make it out of any shop I have either run or bought from. When combined with the apparent lack of cleaning (probably not corrosion), I would think this board was possibly a reject that got shipped.

Of course no one except the end user is concerned about this. Everyone in the supply chain got paid. Just keep that crappy production line going while the ‘name brand’ supplier seeks an even cheaper place with poor workmanship standards.

This is what happens when we demand ‘the lowest price, always the lowest price’.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

#9
Jerry Bowers said:
The surface mount chip that is so crooked that it barely makes contact with the intended pads, along with the through hole capacitor that appears to be only partially inserted would never make it out of any shop I have either run or bought from. When combined with the apparent lack of cleaning (probably not corrosion), I would think this board was possibly a reject that got shipped.

Of course no one except the end user is concerned about this. Everyone in the supply chain got paid. Just keep that crappy production line going while the ‘name brand’ supplier seeks an even cheaper place with poor workmanship standards.

This is what happens when we demand ‘the lowest price, always the lowest price’.

Happy RRing,

Jerry


Yup.

Pay a little bit, get a little bit

Pay a few buck more, get a whole lot more.

Bring manufacturing back to the good old US of A. After we throw all 537 of those elected bums out of office.

#10
Steve Featherkile said:
Bring manufacturing back to the good old US of A.
:)
#11

I don’t think that sort of QC is limited to the particular country of origin.
It is a state of business mind that allows that sort of QC to be ignored.
You would get that result no matter where it was made if you simply want the lowest price possible. Something has to suffer when you cut corners.

I don’t know what caused this particular problem. But, it definitely was corrosion. That white powdery stuff that tastes acid. It scrubs off OK and then lacquer can be applied.
I don’t mind fixing it, because I have the facilities and capabilities to do so. I just don’t think the purchaser should have to fix it.

Oh, and BTW. I have seen the same problem on the occasional Bachmann locos, but none on USAT stuff.

#12

Is it possible the corrosion set in AFTER the board was installed during storage/shipment? That is the point I am trying to understand.

#13

I just did a R/C install on B-mann loco and there was a wad of chewing gum stuck inside the boiler. Another one i did had band aids holding the wiring to the shell. A third, an aristo, had the wiring chopped and different colored wiring scabbed in the middle to make them longer. All were factory new.

Terry