Thread: Machine tool demolition ??

Bought a 1996 CNC panel processing router by Biesse (Italian, woodworking machine) and was looking thru the operators manual, and there is a chapter at the end on decommissioning, and then yet another chapter on "demolition" !

Starts out "When the machine reaches the end of it's 'technical' or working life it must de totally decomissioned so that it can no longer be used for the purposes it was designed and constructed. This proceedure allows for re use of it's parts and the raw materials" ...and then it proceeds to give info.

Of course most of the info falls into the "well d'uh" category...like "clear a space around the machine to allow for free movement" and "remove and put away any tools in the machine" but some real info in there on depressuring tanks and capacitors retaining residual voltage.

No mention of suggested sledge hammer sizes, torch flame color, or height of cliff to push it off however.

Anyway, just thought this a hoot, as, out of thousands of machine manuals I've read over the years, I don't think I've even seen a single manual that mentions processes for "demolition"

[img]smile.gif[/img]

The Army manual for the Rivett 608 has a chapter on how to render the machine useless in case of capture by the enemy with details on what to do depending on how much time is available. Been awhile since I have read it but I think dynamiting is one option!

EDIT: woah, Paul, we think alike. We posted the same info at the same time. Dynamite was indeed an option listed, including descriptions of where to pack the charges.
Andy

The manual for my AN/GRR-5 has a whole section on that. Not sure if it would come in handy for me, but it's nice to know it's there.

I know how to make thermite. Would that help?

Don,
My nephew has one of these and the CNC panel saw to go with it.
Does bespoke kitchen units and it can spit a complete medium sized setup out all cut, drilled, routered and finished in under 30 minutes.

Takes longer to assemble one than make it.

John S.

During the early days of WWII, when the British fortress at Singapore was under siege by the Japanese, the commander of the fortress cabled Churchill with a discussion of the work he was doing to demolish the equipment in the fort, including precautions to destroy the ammunition for the big guns.

Churchill reportedly cabled back:
"The accepted way of destroying ammunition is by firing it at the enemy."

Thermo1

I wonder if this has anything to do with recent EC rules about making your products recyclable?

I think that autos made in Germany, for example, must not only be made of recyclable materials, but the auto manufacturer must take the parts back when the car dies.

From the manual for my R-390A/URR (a once top-secret HF communications receiver):

172. Methods of Destruction
Use any or all of the methods listed in a through f below to make the equipment completely useless.
a. Smash. Smash the controls, tuning mechanism, tubes, coils, switches, capacitors, transformers, filters, and meters; use sledges, axes, handaxes, pickaxes, hammers, crowbars, or other heavy tools.
b. Cut. Cut the power cord, the antenna lead-in cable, and the headset cord; use an axe, a handaxe, or a machete.
c. Burn. Burn cords, cables, and manuals; use gasoline; kerosene, oil, flamethrowers, or incendiary grenades.
d. Bend. Bend the panel, the cabinet, and the main frame.
e. Explosives. If explosives are necessary, use firearms, grenades, or TNT.
f. Disposal. Bury or scatter the destroyed parts in slit trenches or fox holes, or throw them into streams.
--- ---
R-390A/URR Technical Manual TM 11-856A

The training manual for the WW II Caterpillar D8 had the chapter on demolition.

The process was horrible and dangerous, lots of explosives involved. Cats have 9 lives.

Regarding your commercial machine, Don, I am suprized that the demolition was included.

In times past the Harris company would take older Harris presses in on trade. The press erectors were instructed as to how to render the old press unfit for further use before taking the machine directly to the scrap yard.

IBM was another company that never let its equipment hit the used market. They would take their old machines back to the plant of origin and smash them up good before hauling it away for scrap.

Think of what would have happened if US machine tool manufacturers applied the same tactic.

R-390, Remember them well.
I was a radio/teletype repair type.
Slug tuned, one or two RF stages, a great reciever.

When I was in the Navy in the 50's some of the left over WW-II electronic equipment in the planes we were flying had "Destruct" switches which I presume set off a charge to destroy the guts.
Oh how I wished for one of those later when I was working on some GE-1050's.

There's a photo in the book "Artillery at the Golden Gate" which shows a 16" caliber coast defense gun being sliced up with an "Oxygen Lance" This Oxygen Lance looks like it would do a good job on machine tools, too.

There's a photo in the book "Artillery at the Golden Gate" which shows a 16" caliber coast defense gun being sliced up with an "Oxygen Lance" This Oxygen Lance looks like it would do a good job on machine tools, too.

The "Demolition" section is in my two latest European machine's manuals (Italian, German). I believe it's inspired/required by the European Union's "Integrated Product Policy" which, inter alia, deals with a products' life cycle. The demolition sectionn may be required to receive ISO certification, not sure.

There's a photo in the book "Artillery at the Golden Gate" which shows a 16" caliber coast defense gun being sliced up with an "Oxygen Lance"

Is that from when the rest of the US retreated from CA so as not to fall into the hands of who is left? [img]smile.gif[/img]

The demolition sectionn may be required to receive ISO certification, not sure.

Yeah I'll bet that's it, as the whole thing sorta seemed like it was in there to create the illusion of "eco-friendliness"

Can't wait to see what awful horrors we're stuck with once EU-mandated leadless-soldered electronics start hitting the scene en mass.

bespoke kitchen units

I had no idea what "bespoke" meant but in searching it seems to mean "custom made". If so, I'm always in favor of unique words that shorten what you have to say to get your meaning across...wonder why we don't use the term here ?

The company I worked for had a bunch of civilians working for the military in Viet Nam. In the final days before the fall, the communications equipment they worked so hard to keep operational was piled up in the middle of a runway along with a bunch of explosives and blown to smithereens!

On cryptographic equipment, there is a "Zeroize" function that clears all the keys and such in the volatile memory if capture was eminent and there is not enough time to physically destroy the equipment.