I would like to meet a Canon Engineer and kick him/her in the beard.

**zed255** · 08-04-2011

Nice rant. I'm not an engineer, but I play one on TV...

Seriously, we need to remember that often the engineers are capable of designing a unit that will last and be easy to service but they also receive much pressure from the marketing and accounting departments. Machines have to be built with the idea of 'planned obsolescence' so that the sales guy has a shot at placing a new box within a set period of time on average. The machines have to be built to a budget, in both time and materials. Those parts that may be a real pain to replace in the field may be quick and easy to install at the factory. There are many factors that lead to some of these 'dogs' we all loathe to service.

I'd love servicing to be given more attention during the design process; a machine that you could fix while leaving to tools in the car would be splendid.

ragajungle · 08-04-2011

As a former aerospace worker for Ford I know better than most that bean counters and bureaucracies like to spoil a great idea, but I also know that group think and failure to see thearger picture can severly diminish a product, cripple a company and set the wheels of failure in motion. It wasn't until Alan Mululay became CEO and revisioned the convoluted communication structure, did Ford start producing a great product. In that company it wasn't a lack of talent so much as it was the process that nearly killed it. I see the same underpinnings in Canon. Once a fantasticdevice now weighed down with poor execution of good ideas.

**prntrfxr** · 08-04-2011

I'd love servicing to be given more attention during the design process; a machine that you could fix while leaving to tools in the car would be splendid.

Love that. You know they purposefully make it difficult for a few reasons:

1) They want endusers to call their own techs out to fix it, not try to fix it themselves. (This goal is achieved pretty well.)
2) They want to give technicians the awesome "I'm the greatest tech in the world!" feeling after we finish. You know, that feeling that keeps us doing this day after day.
3) They secretly hate techs complaining about all their designs and are having a good laugh about how "difficult a time a tech's going to have to fix this."
4) They are in a contest with other engineers to see who can create the most physically challenging machine to take apart and put it together.

Ricoh's are designed more efficiently (I learned on these too.) I didn't really appreciate them until I had to work on other equipment.

The first "other" machine I worked on was a Sharp. I don't remember which one. anyway, I had to replace the developer drive. I went where I thought it would be, near the developer unit. After I got all the boards out and got to the dev. unit, I discovered it was driven by a belt. I followed that belt expecting to find the drive and motor. No, it led to another belt, That one led to another belt and finally to the dev drive. It was clear on the other side of the machine and I had to remove boards and assemblies above each pulley. To me that was the most asinine way to design that machine.

After that I worked on Toshiba's until I blew a developer by vacuuming the developer out (you can do that with Ricoh machines). Canon's are known for their use screws. There is one screw every 1 1/2". I have had to have clients help me remove things in Canon machines, just because I needed a 3rd hand that I didn't have. I don't work on copiers that much anymore. When I do, it's usually a Canon. I don't hate them though. I don't want to let one beat me, because I enjoy a challenge and I don't want to think that some engineer somewhere is laughing at my misfortune of having to fix their machines.

**Lasersupplies** · 08-04-2011

I asked the Question yesterday worst best manufacturers of Copiers and MFP's. Looks like one position has been filled.

**Akitu** · 08-04-2011

The biggest problem (and I don't know why I never thought of it before) is patenting. The companies will go out and design some new fuser or new style of feed system and then immediately slap a patent on it, leaving the other companies to either pay out the ass to use the only style of feed system that works, or design their own, often ending up in a spectacular failure.

So everyone knows what we need to do right? Change copyright laws. Go on, get on it, they ain't gonna change themselves.

Really, protection for the life of the creator and up to SEVENTY YEARS after they die? Oh common sense, how we miss thee...

ragajungle · 08-04-2011

Awesome point. Never thought of that..... So apparently Canon wasate as Hell on DF & FFR design lol...

**Akitu** · 08-04-2011

Yeah, I never thought of it until my recent training course when I was having this very same discussion with the instructor, about why they'll do stupid crap like this... Copyright laws. Abolish them.

**mikadonovan** · 08-04-2011

Speaking of funky engineering, what about the HP desktop printers? These are good printers, but if I had not had a manual with the disassembly procedure the first time I had to dig in to one, I would have been screwed. How it LOOKS like it comes apart IS NOT the way it comes apart.

**prntrfxr** · 08-04-2011

Covers usually come off clockwise from right cover or rear cover. Unless you're talking about inkjets. Then you move them from the desk to the trashcan.