Although the emphasis on device repairability has risen in recent years, many devices are discarded because of a circuit board failure when they are quite fixable, said Kyle Wiens, CEO of repair firm iFixit.
That’s why iFixit is teaming up with The Repair Academy and The Art of Repair for a 12-day microsoldering and board repair course at the new iFixit headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Offered July 7-19, the training course is partially in response to tariffs, Wiens said in an interview with E-Scrap News.
New technology is vulnerable to the on-again, off-again tariffs with China in particular, potentially pushing up the prices for new devices. Aside from tariffs, however, repairing devices can keep costs down and reduce e-scrap generation, Wiens said.
“There are parts that we were getting from Asia that are much more expensive to get now,” he said. “And if there are already broken boards here, why not fix them?”
He used as an example a broken HDMI cable for an Xbox, a very common issue. The repair requires a 50-cent part, he said, “but it is the difference between throwing away an Xbox and being able to sell it for $300, and that is less than a 30-minute repair for someone.”
Some ITADs and repair shops already provide this service, “but it takes a technician who is very competent to be able to do it, and you have to have microscopes and soldering irons and specialized equipment that you don’t see in most ITADs.
“It’s going to be a very intense, concentrated training,” Wiens added. “It’s a lot of effort to get people to travel somewhere,” which is part of why iFixit decided to provide two weeks of training, giving attendees “skills that would be durable and would apply to a broad spectrum of products.”
Last month, iFixit and refurbisher Back Market announced they were partnering to influence consumer and manufacturer behavior and create a world where circularity is the default. Back Market will integrate iFixit tutorials across its offerings and will offer iFixit repair toolkits for sale, while iFixit will add refurbished technology from Back Market to its channels.
So far the response to the first offering of the class has been positive. “I’m confident it will go well, and then we’ll announce more dates after that,” Wiens said.
The course costs $6,500, with the option for payment plans for those that qualify, and includes tools for use during training, consumables, logic boards, practice materials and certification. Participants can book their own lodgings or pay an additional $1,000 to stay the 13 nights at a shared iFixit house near the headquarters, with lunch and dinner included.
“It’s a time and a staffing and a skill investment, but the upside is very hot,” he said. “If you want to level up your best technician or to give them a chance to fix things that were out of reach before, this is a great opportunity to expand your business.”
