Small PCB with 2 slotted optical switches Sharp 04 1A15

I have a Alzmetall AC32 drilling machine
We replaced some bearings and in the proces probably ruined this small PCB with the 2 slotted optical switches
Components would cost less as €5 probably
Alzmetall wants €200,- for it
Oke we solder in 2 new switches and be good
Not so The exact same type (Sharp 04 1A15 with 5 pins ) I cannot find anymore
Looking on RS online I found there were several types

Buffer (5)
Inverter (3)
Open Collector (1)
Open-Collector with 10K Pull-Up Resistor (8)
Photodarlington (1)
Photodiode (1)
Photointerrupter (4)
Photologic (2)
Phototransistor (69)
Pull Up (2)
Transistor (59)


I presume the 0.25 on top of the switch is the slit size Gap size is ±3.2mm
Dimensions are 12x6x8mm
I found these that would fit dimensionwise
Slotted Optical Switches |Same day despatch on Slotted Optical Switches parts | RS Components
Anyone can help which one to choose ???



Peter

This one should work. The lead spacing is slightly larger (8.8 vs. 9.2mm), but it will probably squeeze in OK.

GP1A52LRJF | Sharp GP1A52LRJF Through Hole Slotted Optical Switch | Sharp

Personally I prefer the Optek (TT electronics) Photologic sensors due to their great repeatability (<1um short term). But the lead spacing of Pin 4 was different.

Obviously you should verify function safely before crashing your tool at high speed into the hard stops!

Good Luck.

Always start with the datasheet. This tells you what you need to find a substitute.

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It is an open collector output with integral 10k pullup.

These people claim to have some in stock.

GP1A15 Sharp,DIP-5 | IC Chips | UTSOURCE

Most companies start with the cheapest I've found, seems to work!
Mark
Weren't the sharp ones fitted to computer mice, seem to remember thier name on one

200 Euros for that????? They probably paid about ONE for it, ASSEMBLED and ready to go.

Why am I always in the wrong business?

You're not paying them what it cost to make it. Your paying them to have it on the shelf when you need it...

A half of a cubic inch, MAX. Boy that is a lot of storage space.

They made a bunch of extras when the machine was in production. Some of the excess assemblies were packaged as spares; $1 to $2 tops to package them. Then someone put them in a bin on a shelf and records the location in a database; $1 maximum. After that they sat there. I doubt that they were even dusted. Probably counted in regular but not necessarily yearly inventories; a few more dollars. Computer record; just pennies. And a few dollars to pull it off the shelf and ship it to you.

As for the cost of that volume of storage space, they probably have a half empty warehouse. Some bean counter will figure out that it is worth a lot, but the truth is the space would just have gone empty if it was not there. I say pennies per year, no more.

The rest is pure gravy. Oh, and at some point that computer says to dump it, destroying any possibility of making anything off of it. That just raises the price of the others that were sold. And it is NOT there when you need it.

What we need is a company that takes over the spares business for a lot of companies and does it efficiently. And who holds the stock until it is exhausted. And that charges a reasonable amount.

ewlsey said:

You're not paying them what it cost to make it. Your paying them to have it on the shelf when you need it...

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I got a e-mail from UTSOURCE they have none in stock
BTW The dealer here in Holland has it stocked So a regulary sold item I think

Peter

EPAIII said:

200 Euros for that????? They probably paid about ONE for it, ASSEMBLED and ready to go.

Why am I always in the wrong business?

Click to expand...

They might sell one per year.. If its older product they might need to do re-design to use components that are still available.
Re-designed part could sell one per year. Or one per millenium. Not necessarily so good business after all.

Alzmetall AX 3/S, AB 40/SV, AC 32 Drilling Machine is Trendsetters for high-performance drilling. Unmatched and highly precise. It is also High-End CNC drilling Automated and flexible series drilling.

Mr WALTER said:

Alzmetall AX 3/S, AB 40/SV, AC 32 Drilling Machine is Trendsetters for high-performance drilling. Unmatched and highly precise. It is also High-End CNC drilling Automated and flexible series drilling.

View attachment 219045

Click to expand...

IS there a point to your enlightenment ?

I ordered some from Aliexpress
Lets see how long it takes for them to arrive

Mr WALTER
Sure this is a Unmatched and highly precise machine
I only deal with the best of the best

Peter

Duhhh, two possibilities:

1. The original stock, that was made as part of the original machine's production run, has NOT run out. So there is ZERO additional expenses, just shelf storage.

2. The original stock HAS run out. That means that they were mistaken about the demand (poor design) and more are needed. It also means that they do need more than your minimum estimate so that is not valid. As for a redesign, that could be an expense, but if it is needed, it should be considered as part of NORMAL product support.

Neither case gives them your "out".

There is NO excuse for such high prices except a desire to scalp their past customers and to create a demand for new sales. Can you say "greed"?

MattiJ said:

They might sell one per year.. If its older product they might need to do re-design to use components that are still available.
Re-designed part could sell one per year. Or one per millenium. Not necessarily so good business after all.

Click to expand...

EPAIII said:

A half of a cubic inch, MAX. Boy that is a lot of storage space.

They made a bunch of extras when the machine was in production. Some of the excess assemblies were packaged as spares; $1 to $2 tops to package them. Then someone put them in a bin on a shelf and records the location in a database; $1 maximum. After that they sat there. I doubt that they were even dusted. Probably counted in regular but not necessarily yearly inventories; a few more dollars. Computer record; just pennies. And a few dollars to pull it off the shelf and ship it to you.

As for the cost of that volume of storage space, they probably have a half empty warehouse. Some bean counter will figure out that it is worth a lot, but the truth is the space would just have gone empty if it was not there. I say pennies per year, no more.

The rest is pure gravy. Oh, and at some point that computer says to dump it, destroying any possibility of making anything off of it. That just raises the price of the others that were sold. And it is NOT there when you need it.

What we need is a company that takes over the spares business for a lot of companies and does it efficiently. And who holds the stock until it is exhausted. And that charges a reasonable amount.

Click to expand...

EPA, it is better to close your mouth and let people wonder if you're dumb than to open it and remove all doubt.

metalmagpie

I guess you are right. After all, they are the ones who are getting hundreds of dollars for a $10 part.

I just wish I knew how to do that. And have the victims, err customers defend me while I did it. I guess I am not a good business man.

metalmagpie said:

EPA, it is better to close your mouth and let people wonder if you're dumb than to open it and remove all doubt.

metalmagpie

Click to expand...

EPAIII said:

Duhhh, two possibilities:

2. The original stock HAS run out. That means that they were mistaken about the demand (poor design) and more are needed. It also means that they do need more than your minimum estimate so that is not valid. As for a redesign, that could be an expense, but if it is needed, it should be considered as part of NORMAL product support.

Click to expand...

Does not work that way with bean counters. With Lean, six sigma, 5S or good knows what you stock items for maybe 6 months and act suprised if someone needs spares to machine older than 2 years.

Got fuck all to do with bean counters,equally storage of spares in Europe generally is not cheap, attracts tax liabilities and is just a pain in the ass from the OEM point of view.

Under EU law a machine only has to be supplied - supported both technically and with spares from 7 years post sale. Few people know that till there machine breaks, as a independent tech in the print world i see it way too oftern, more than a few customers get had and end up with very dead large machines from simple old unobtainable electronics failing. Im not talking simple boards, im talking boards covered in chips, oftern unique ones and oftern with large potted unobtainiam modules. Im not talking about things you can rewire with a simple PLC either.

Worth remembering, most modern semiconductors don't have much over a 7 year design life till failure starts to be come common, hence break downs post 7 years become way more frequent do to electrical part faliure, not bad design, just components simply at end of life.

So do you sell em a $200 part Or sell em a new tens thousands machine? Which do you think makes most business sense?? Which do you spend big bucks on to put in place. FYI your not makeing a board like that for a couple of dollars OEM at the quantities something like these drills are made in, far more likely low double digits price wise. 10-20x cost is common OEM mark up in EU land. A £3.65 belt std small toothed belt will often be north of £55 from a OEM. Real kicker is oftern lead times too, from the OEM its 5 working days, local belt place its next day! Hence you know even the OEM is not holding stocks!!