This is a teardown of a rotating strobe light I found at a little dollar store in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. In total, there are 60 individual parts. I took down the entire thing using only my Leatherman Wave multi-tool. I was able to keep all parts intact, with the exception of clipping a few wires. The metal housing required me to pry open the disk and unbend the metal with my flat end and needle nose pliers. Upon taking the object apart, I was surprised to see how many plastic gears went into making it and that the gears came lubricated. It was also interesting to see all the electrical components and the motor were housed neatly in a metal enclosure. I guess they designed it this way to prevent any damage happening to the moving parts.
The iP11 is a digital alarm clock and iPod speaker. It has Alarm ON/OFF, iPod Play/Pause, Volume Up and Down, Alarm Set, Hour and Minutes Sleep, Alarm Set and Snooze/Dimmer Buttons on the top. It comes with an AC adapter to convert to DC 10V power. The clock can also run on its own with a 3V CR 2032 battery.
Total time taken for the tear-down : 50 minutes
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Tools used : Leatherman Wave multi-tool and small screw-drivers set
Step 1 : Remove the two screws at the bottom holding the base.
Step 2 : Remove the two screws in the back and unplug the power cable.
Step 3 : Remove two screws from the bottom.
The two plastic parts of the body should then come apart.
Step 4 : Remove the battery cover from the back of the bottom part.
Step 5 : Remove these four screws to take apart the iPod dock unit and unplug the wires from the unit. The iPod dock unit itself comes apart by removing two screws in the sub-assembly.
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Step 6 : Unplug the different cables from the circuit.
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Step 7 : Remove the two screws holding the keys sub-assembly.
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Step 8 : Remove the six screws shown below holding the circuit board and the speaker assembly. Also, remove the two screws on the other side holding the speaker assembly. One of the screws on the other side wouldn’t budge, so I had to tear apart the plastic. A small frame holding the display screen will also come apart along with the screen itself. The keypad from the top are sealed with the plastic body so they didn’t come apart. They might have been insert molded along with the plastic body.
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Step 9 : The grill in front is held in place through a few tabs bent inside. Bend them outside and the pull apart the grill.
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The bottom assembly is now done.
Step 10 : In the top assembly, remove the nuts and bolts holding the heat sink in place. The heat sink is a bent strip of aluminium.
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Step 11 : Remove the six screws shown below holding the circuit boards in place. Unplug the connector fixed to the plastic. The bottom part is also done.
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Step 12 : Remove the four screws take apart the speaker from its housing.
Here are all the major components in the device.
A few wires holding the top and bottom sub-assembly were soldered on to the boards so I had to cut them to take them apart. Hence, I couldn’t re-assemble the device back together.
Below is a list of the components, their materials and manufacturing processes.
Two design elements I found interesting are the cable winding feature between the base and the bottom part and the slight recess of the bottom body from the top surface. This not only gives an edge to hold the product one-handed but it also makes the body disappear from a lot of angles.
For this tear-down assignment, I chose to investigate an inexpensive flashlight. For $1.99, I acquired the marvel of modern engineering otherwise known as the Trisonic Torchlight TS-97B-11T.
Here’s the last time it was seen safely in one piece:
The first step in disassembly involved unscrewing the front-most black piece, easily done with the handy finger grips in its rubbery plastic surface. This functions as both the gateway to the battery compartment and the joining mechanism for the ‘lens’ components.
Once unscrewed, the front piece freed the three hard plastic pieces above:
lens – clear plastic, used to protect the bulb
reflector – grey plastic painted chrome, used to diffuse the bulb’s light
ring – red plastic, this ring sits between the front and rest of the battery chassis where they screw together. Its purpose is unclear, but perhaps functions as a washer to avoid stripping/excessive friction in the join. Or it may just be decorative.
Nestled within the reflector was the bulb, which was glued together and impossible to dissect further without shattering the thin plastic exterior.
Clipping onto the base of of the reflector is this plastic disk, which holds the bulb in place and is presumably the diameter of the chassis interior in order to maintain stability of all pieces within the chassis.
Beneath the disk is a black plastic cap that screws onto the bottom of the reflector. At the bottom of this cap is a small metal piece that would serve as a conductor between the bottom of the bulb and the batteries below.
At this point, there is no further disassembly to be done with bare hands:
Tug as I might with pliers, the metal coil and conductor refused to budge. So it was time to resort to the small hand-saw, part of my multi-tool. Things got much hairier very quickly.
The main body of the the flashlight actually consists of an inner and outer layer:
chassis – the inner layer and the flashlight’s rigid plastic skeleton, the chassis houses the batteries and electrical components and screws into the lens and bulb apparatus. (It was more fragile than I anticipated, and snapped along the seam when I sawed down to the button.)
grip – the ‘skin’ of the body, this more malleable, rubbery plastic makes for a satisfying grip and enables the soft click of the on-off button. (It also clips to the string wristband, which I did not bother cutting off for this exercise.)
Partially damaged by my sawing was the hero of the show, the switch:
The white plastic switch sits in a crevice between the cup and shaft of the chassis (the weak spot where the chassis snapped), between the chassis and grip. Thelongmetal conductor strip extending from its bottom runs along the exterior of the chassis and folds into the chassis’s interior, clipping around the base of the coil (which is what the batteries sit on at the bottom of the chassis).
Here’s a look at the disassembled switch, which consists of:
button – a white plastic cylinder, solid on top and hollow on bottom. The four small nodes extending from its base are perpendicular, and match up with corresponding grooves in the…
top – a rounded rectangle plastic case which an elongated aperture at top that snugly houses the button. It clips neatly onto the base, which has the same profile.
base – the backing and foundation for the switch, it features pegs that clip into the top, through holes on the conductor strips to hold them in place. it also has a central peg that supports the…
spring – the component that provides the persistent resistance that keeps us coming back for more! Atop it sits the…
conductor-disk – this sombrero-shaped metal piece is what connects (or does not connect) the conductor strips when the flashlight is switched on (or off).
conductor strip (small) – the smaller of the two strips, this one runs up from the top of the switch, back into the chassis, and interfaces with the top of the battery and bottom of the bulb.
Learnings
I’m still mystified by a few steps in the production process, but I have confidently concluded the following:
All plastic pieces were created using molds.
Longer circular pieces (reflector, chassis, grip) have bisecting seams, suggesting they were created as two separate pieces and then joined.
Shorter circular pieces (front, lens, ring, cap, disk) have no seams, and were likely single-mold productions.
My inferred assembly order is as follows:
bulb (a unique part created at a separate time, possibly by a third party)
switch internal components
coil is dropped to the bottom of the chassis
switch and conductorstrips are placed on outside of chassis; conductor strips are run into the corresponding crevices to the chassis interior
grip is folded onto chassis (possibly when its two halves are joined)
cap and conductorare joined; bulb is slipped into back of reflector
disk is clipped onto back of bulb + reflector
cap is screwed onto bottom of reflector, joining the bulb to reflector
ring is slipped around neck of chassis; lens is clipped into front
front is screwed onto chassis, flashlight is complete
Impressions
I was amazed by the elegant simplicity inside such an inexpensive device. Two general features stood out to me in particular:
texture – The repeating square pyramids along the grip’s handle had just the right about of tack to keep the light firmly in hand, even when held in a variety of positions. Any larger or smaller and they might have become invasive or pointless, but they were the perfect size. Additionally, the decision to comprise the reflector’s convex interior of many flat-faced hexagons, rather than just one smooth surface, was an interesting one. This must help diffuse light in more directions, as a smooth surface would likely have been easier to manufacture.
durability – Cheap things typically break easily, but this flashlight seemed very resilient—even if it couldn’t withstand my saw. Its exterior surface was the perfect mixture of hard and soft to cushion and withstand a sizable drop, and its key component—the switch—was in a well-protected spot, very difficult to remove. It seems $2 still goes a long way, some times
Please find a tear down of the Air Zucker wireless, bluetooth speaker below. Enjoy!
Product Image: Air Zuker, Bluetooth Wireless Speaker
Product Image: Air Zuker, Bluetooth Wireless Speaker
Progression of tear down
Tear down tools used:
Screwdriver to remove screws
X-Acto knife to cut glue/adhesives
Flat head to pry open joints
Top down image of all parts
Top down image of all parts.
Identifying each component’s purpose
Identifying each component’s purpose above.
Identifying Manufacturing Process per Part
Identifying manufacturing process per part above.
Detailed breakdown of PCB
Detailed breakdown of PCB above.
Detailed breakdown of Speaker Sub-Assembly
Detailed breakdown of Speaker Sub-Assembly above.
Design elements of interest above with text below.
Location of audio jack and charging port:
Question: Why would charging/audio jack be raised up off the ground?
Assumption: cost savings because the PCB is located at the top for buttons. Keeping everything on top reduces the amount of routing electrical components.
Mesh enclosure design:
Question: Why does mesh enclosure wrap below?
Assumption: hide the interface transition of mesh to plastic base. Continue the curve of the aluminum enclosure down, makes look more continuous
This electric sharpener works with electricity directly plugged in. It seemed fairly simple at the beginning. I was not expecting that many pieces and screws. I could not open the battery, I guess they are glued together.
Process
Step 1:
Separate all the pieces that do not need unscrewing.
You have the pencil sharpener, the trash box and the wall charger.
Step 2:
After separating all the pieces I took out the first 4 screws.
The plastic parts where set aside and kept working on disarming the main engine.
Step 3:
Remove the entire engine and pencil sharpener mechanical parts from its plastic container.
At this point the sharpener still worked when plugged in.
Step 4:
Remove the next 4 screws and separate the engine from its main structure.
Inside their where 3 gears that moved consequently from the mains engine gear.
Step 5:
Then I proceeded to remove the engine.
Step 6:
Once the engine was removed, I separated all the gears, screws and plastic parts attached to it.
Then I removed the pencil sharpener from the main cabin.
Step 7:
Finally I got to the main engine. Took it apart until I could not anymore.
It seemed fairly simple, coil and two magnets inside that made the main axis rotate when plugged in.
Step 8:
Once completely separated it was time to put it back together, which I did and it was a lot of fun too.
Hi， I’m Jiani, I tear down a LED light yesterday, it’s really interesting.
Solar panel is a important part for this product, it turns solar to energy to support the light to work. A solar panel help LED light work outside become possible without charging function. And it is also a more environmental protection way because the batteray in it can be reused.
The motion sensitive part is a very useful part, the light can change it’s degree of luminescence depends on the motion so that it can prevent waste of some energy instead of light all the time.
This is a calculator. Is there anyone doesn’t know what is a calculator? No? Ok, let’s tear down it!
First, I tried to twist off the screws and tear down its plastic back cover. I used a screwdriver and my hands to do that. Let’s see what’s in it.
LCD. There will be some pattern on it while you press.
Battery.
Wire, which connect the processor and the battery.
Keyboard. I guess the black piece under every button can be a resistance. When you press different buttons, the touch-sensitive key pad will form different circuits. Therefore we can track the data.
A “solar panel”, actually is a plastic ornament. At first I guessed it to be a solar panel, but there’s no wire connected to that. So it may just be a fake one. (Aha, for the calculator I bought was the cheapest one!)
Processor. I guess there’s something in it by looking at the shape.
After burning the black part, I can easily use a knife to cut it and found a chip in it! (Awesome!)
Some small Parts. Sponge for support and some screws.
Battery: Zinc, Manganese, stainless steel, nylon/Multiple process
As for the most interesting part, the first one I think is the fake solar panel. I laughed for a long time, as the way to save manufacturing cost is so smart. Actually I’ve never thought about that there is a solar panel in a calculator, but a battery, as a battery is enough for using.
The printed circuit board is also interesting. It is so thin, which subverted the image of printed circuit board in my heart. I suppose the reason may also be saving cost.
And at last, I think I should tell you the price of my calculator. ＄1.99 ^_^
The product has a very simple assemply consisting of:
Injection moulded casing and power button
Transparent plastic LED difuser
Foam sepperator
Small Philips cross head screws
3.7V 8.14Wh lithium cell
Printed circuit board
Insulated wire
The circuitboard contains several components including:
1x blue LED
4x surface-mount blue LED
1x 2R2 3.7 to 5v transformer
1x short USB felmale connector
1x micro USB connector
1x surface mount push button
6x surface mount capacitors
5x surface mount resistors
1x Honeywell / Microswitch1PB315
1x One Cell Lithium-ion/Polymer Battery Protection IC DW01A
1x Dual-Channel Power Distribution Switch B2025
Designers Intensions
The form of this products implies that the product contains 2 lithium cells but only contains one. This could have been a technique to make the product appear as if it was of a higher capacity. However the extra space is still used to hold a small circuitboard.
The product has a matte coating on the ABS casing. I was not able to workout how this finish was achieved but it was likely done to cheaply give the product the appearance of higher quality.
Disassembly Process
The product contains no external screws or mounts and tools will be required for disassembly: 1x Prying Tool and 1x Small Phillips Cross Screwdriver
The main body of the product is held together with moulded clips and can be separated with the prying tool.
The circuit board is held to the casing with 2 small Philips cross head screws.
The circuit board can be pried from the casing with the prying tool.
A small piece of adhesive tape holds the battery in place which can be removed with the prying tool.
A small piece of padding which sat between the circuit board and casing is attached with mild adhesive.
The battery power light and power button is plastic welded to the casing and can be separated with the prying tool.
For our first project I decided to teardown a Nintendo Entertainment System, which I found at the Lower East Side Ecology Center Reuse Store in Gowanus, what a great place!
Aside from dropping off a bag full of old cables and some broken speakers; I had the privilege of walking around with one of the workers there, Carlos Cabrera. He showed me around the prop isles and some back isles where there were some things that he thought could be interesting to teardown. It was a hard choice, but I decided to go for a Nintendo, since it was the first video game I played with as a child. This one was damaged by a spill. Fun fact: the store has a functional one in the front that visitors may test out, I got to play Mario Bros for a couple of minutes =)
The teardown was fairly easy, I used 2 small screwdrivers and a pair of pliers. Clic on the pictures below to see the full progression with some explanations along the way.
Before starting
First few panels off, the bulk of the larger screws were removed by this point
Removing the mechanism that the games feed into, this was the part where dust would give us all problems when loading games
Connections to the circuit board dismanteled
Cables and buttons that lead to the outside of the box removed
This is the Radio Frequency Modulator (RFM) box, it is the part of the circuit board that takes information from the Picture processing Unit (PPU) & turns it into Audio
Inside the RFM, we can see some capacitors, they store electric charge. We also see various resistors, which are used to reduce the flow of electric current through the system.
Here we take a close up at the circuit board, the two large chips are the Picture Prossesing Units or PPUs, note that this unit was manufactured in 1987. Right on top of the date you will see what they call the “Expansion Slot” which was apparently never used
The small chip in the middle that starts with a “uPA…” is a Diode which is a semiconductor device that allows the flow of current in one direction only
Here I disassembled the mechanism for the Power and Reset buttons
Little tabs keep these pieces together, most tabs cracked off when disassembling
Springs are a main function in these switches
Here is a layout of all the small plastic & metal parts in the switch
These are the connectors for the two controllers, the controllers plug into the black large parts and the signal is fed throught the cables into the circuit board through the small green plastic part
And here are all the parts photographed together
One thing that I noticed while tearing down the Nintendo is what caused the unit to break. A liquid of some sort must have spilled on the unit, and seeped through the top vents into important parts of the circuit board. The gravity of the damage could have easily been avoided if the vents would have been designed on the sides or back of the unit. While researching, I also came across people who complained that the way the games hooked into the machine, it is delicate and prone to problems. Not only did dust interfere with the video game (most of us can remember having to blow on the game before inserting it!), but if any of the prongs were bent out of shape, the whole part had to be changed. In the last picture of my slide progression you can see it, it is the black plastic part right above the circuit board.
The experience of tearing down an electronic was pretty fun, researching the parts also yielded some interesting insights about this product, I am still in awe with the complexity of the circuit and I am looking forward to learning more about circuits and programing with Arduino. Thank you!
For this tear-down assignment, I chose to investigate an inexpensive flashlight. For $1.99, I acquired the marvel of modern engineering otherwise known as the 
Once unscrewed, the front piece freed the three hard plastic pieces above:
Step 2:
Step 4:
