Has something like this ever happened to you?
A friend of mine told me a story about a design he worked on. It was a device used in an airplane hanger to save lives in case of an emergency. The product was finished, and received many certifications both domestic and international. "A work of art," my friend proudly boasted.
His direct management, not engineers themselves, literally took parts and modules out of the system, had it stamped by a P.E., and sold to the client. All those last minute changes, as it turns out, were to save money and cover their liability in case of failure; apparently just to please the even higher upper crust management. Several of these butchered designs are in operation already, humming away in some lonely building somewhere.
Too often are designs changed or forced into another direction based on non-engineering pressures. Overall, design quality is lessened just to keep up with the cheap "Made in .." products just to stay competitive. I think it is time to return to the days where quality, not price, is the most important factor. A time where a brand label meant the absolute best.
1940's telephones had to survive a 30 foot drop and work. My current [cell] phone can't even survive a foot and a half drop from my nightstand.
