Not sure if I'm calling it the right thing...I'm referring to the little screw caps that hold the video cable onto the back of your laptop or desktop computer.
For many years, those were produced overseas, by machining the screw caps one at a time - very labor intensive. And, I have personally witnessed a propriety, automated, stamping machine that can make about 5 of those screw caps per second right from raw material to in the shipping box in one pass.
The machine starts with aluminum cylinders about the size of a pencil eraser and through about a dozen stamping steps, give or take, it extruds the piece and adds the threads. Good old yankee ingenuity at it's best.
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4 comments:
Most Cables can be made by hand if you have the correct connectors and tools. The cable industry is such a rip off. Most cables can be bought for $1 to $5, but are sold in stores for $15 to $30. Especailly the new HDMI cables for Plasma screen tv's. I can find a cable on the net for$25, but my video installer guy wants to charge $100 per cable. My advice, shop the internet!
Sincerely,
Craig Garcia
Hey Bob
I totally know what you are talking about, the screw caps. When I was a computer network tech, I was up to my ears with VGA, serial cable and such. And those screws fall off all the time. I am surprise to learn that they were produced one at a time, why? Well, I am glad they came to their senses. I really enjoyed your blog, you are like The DIY Channel and Bill The Science Guy all rolled into one Good stuff keep it up.
Giovanna Garcia
Bob,
Love to hear those stories about Americans using inovation to produce products that were formerly made overseas! Also, we keep the money in this country and employ people here not some where else.
Keep up the good work! Very interesting site!
Pete Baca
Bob,
That is what the mechanization is all about. Technological revolution is about productivity and improved work environment. But in the beginning people always misinterpret it for taking away jobs.
You may not mean all these. But it just came to my mind. Good blog.
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