An inside view into Thinkpad factory workings...

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vkyr · #1 Post by **vkyr** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 8:23 am

This might be interesting for those who are interested to see and get an idea how Thinkpads are assembled, refurbished, cleaned etc. - Since I don't know any better forum place/section to post this in, I'll use this section. Bill might sure know a better place, so it's free to him to move this around or the like.

I've collected over the time some image material related to the above mentioned Thinkpad related topics. But be forwarned that some of the here referenced pages contain many images and thus -depending on your internet connection speed- it can take some time to load the pages.

1. Factory Thinkpad assembling images, see:

http://29991.forum.onetwomax.de/topic=105680772835

2. Factory refurbished Thinkpads, see:

http://29991.forum.onetwomax.de/topic=105680772763

3. Factory Thinkpad cleaning, see:

http://29991.forum.onetwomax.de/topic=105680773401

4. Factory Thinkpad torture tests, see:

http://29991.forum.onetwomax.de/topic=105681199464

5. A little (incomplete) Thinkpad timeline in images, see:

http://29991.forum.onetwomax.de/topic=105680769731

brainpicker · #2 Post by **brainpicker** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 8:42 am

VERY interesting post. Nice pics. Thanks!

Yak

vkyr · #3 Post by **vkyr** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:55 am

Hope these might be useful for the Thinkpad community(?).

Maybe I should add, ...that most of the shown linked image material stems from IBM Japan and was done during the ThinkPad 10th Anniversary at their Asia Pacific manufacturing plant in Fujisawa/Japan.

RS_003 · #4 Post by **RS_003** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 11:19 am

nice pics

The X30 really looks nice

I want a piano to

440roadrunner · #5 Post by **440roadrunner** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 2:59 pm

That IS interesting. Some timeago, I bought my latest laptop, a 600X through the IBM refurb sales. I don't know what they did to it, but it lookedl like new. Only down side, was that the manual was a reprint, essentially on loose leaf pages, instead of a bound manual.

vkyr · #6 Post by **vkyr** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:19 pm

I've always heard good/positive things about refurbished Thinkpads on the US market and that these are mostly always available at attractive prices. - Too bad that we don't have such Thinkpads offerings on the european (german) market too, since in europe most Thinkpads are still pretty expensive in contrast to the US market.

@RS_003

Yes, the X30 looks nice as does the asian market S30.

leoblob · #7 Post by **leoblob** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 11:03 am

Excellent! Very interesting pictures.

(and not terribly slow to load on dial-up)

PrincipalValiant · #8 Post by **PrincipalValiant** » Fri Dec 23, 2005 10:29 pm

Nice pictures.

"think CUSTOMER first..."

Doesn't that sign make you feel all warm and fuzzy?

Temetka · #9 Post by **Temetka** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 2:32 am

Interesting stuff. Probably more so if I could read german. I didn't see any T23's

so I gues my machine isn't good enough to have it's picture taken. It's okay though, I still love it.

epbrown · #10 Post by **epbrown** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 3:24 am

Wish I could get my old ThinkPads that clean and new-looking. My 600X looks like hell - old scuff marks, streaky display, dirt under the keys. There's got to be more to what they do than a wooden knitting needle and a terry cloth towel!

#11 Post by **AlphaKilo470** » Wed Dec 28, 2005 10:17 am

I have an air compressor that I use to blow all the dust out from in my keyboard and inside the main unit and it works fine, I just have to be careful not to hit any sensitive spots and be careful with the angle at which I hit the keys.

For the screen, I normally use a rag damp with water. This actally works quite well and leaves minimal streaks if you can dry the screen off with a dry rag fast enough.

For the case, I usually use a rag damp in Lysol to clean.

To keep the system clean so I don't have to do major cleanups, I find that feather duster or a swiffer duster works absolute wonders on the keyboard.

vkyr · #12 Post by **vkyr** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 6:55 am

For outer TFT and case cleaning I use the IBM recommended method, a mixture of "50% isopropyl alcohol and 50% water". It's still the best way to clean Thinkpads.

For inner parts I use a special small vacuum cleaner (sort of mini-hoover) and antistatic brushes. I use a vacuum cleaner and no air compressor since I usually want the dust to get out of the system instead of pushing it deeper into it.

However, for inner cleanings you always have to be careful, since a notebook includes a bunch of sensible parts, which are often not this resistent to static charge. It's also always a good idea to arrest any fans (or disassemble these first) etc. when cleaning these, so they don't get a mechanical damage etc.

silo · #13 Post by **silo** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:13 pm

Thanks to original poster and all. Good thread with information and insight. I clean with mix of alcohol and water, sometimes just alcohol. This can be run (lightly) over keyboard and case all around. Have tried it on screen with good results, but not often. Air gun is useful, as is Tiny Vacuum (the name of my firstborn).

#14 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 7:19 pm

I'd be careful using a vacuum. http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=12824

An inside view into Thinkpad factory workings...

An inside view into Thinkpad factory workings...

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