There's plenty of products made with plastic that holds up well, even in the most harsh environments.
They decided to make the OP-Z out of plastic and it didn't hold up well. It's the fault of their poor design, or at least the type of plastic they decided to use, not the materials.
> Less plastic. More metal (or carbon fiber or whatever).
I'm intrigued by why you feel plastic is a drawback. Especially as metal has IMO very few advatnages in this case (heavier, lower radio transparency, bends under shock etc.)
Which can be replaced with glass, ceramics metal and carbon fiber.
I can't think of a single component that uses plastics to function for any other reason than costs.
Also you always have fluoropolymers to fall back on partially.
Plastic itself isn’t the problem. However, there are a lot of manufactured items which are the right shape, but made of absurdly inappropriate materials, like toys. Spatulas that melt in contact with a frying pan, or chrome foil on plastic for the edge of a phone, which scratches and flakes at at the merest touch. That’s not to say that you can’t design a heat resistant spatula, or a phone with plastic edges which will be resilient and won’t mark. The problem is the temptation that plastic provides to sell something which looks just about right but doesn't work at all in the long run. If designed properly plastic materials can last for a long time.
Plastic deterioration like this has ruined so many things I liked that are otherwise well designed. I've had it happen with computer mice, umbrellas, knives, camera tripods, shoes, flashlights. I don't know the chemistry behind why, but it's a terrible feeling to have something either disintegrate, or become terribly sticky, or turn into putty.
Plastic is a great material superior to glass & metal (for a world where every product is shipped to destination). Its mass production and lack of reuse is the problem
At least this mentality is rooted in reality, as we now have a pretty good data on longevity of plastic cameras from the 80s and 90s that routinely outlast their metal+leather counterparts from the 60s. Here's a very typical "plastic in cameras" horror story:
> These things are nigh indestructible in my experience.
Not in my experience. When new the plastic has enough flex to tolerate some abuse, but that doesn't last very long - especially if exposed to UV. Polypropylene does not like being exposed to direct sunlight.
Most used examples I've encountered are brittle and break easily if not already cracked. They're disposable plastic garbage.
My issue with plastic for construction of bodies for higher-end products (be it synths, headphones, computers, etc.) is that they are... Soft, they get scratched easily (most of them at least, I know a few types that are scratch-resistant), they show wear and tear in a much more unpleasant way than metal, glass or wood.
It's a hugely important material but I can't imagine ever perceiving plastics, even the higher grade and durable ones, to a premium feeling. I don't associate that with brittleness but more with aesthetics and touch feel.
A lot of them are used outdoors in harsh climates where they’re exposed to the elements, making the plastic brittle. Used as intended, they should be indestructible.
One thing I’ve noticed compared to childhood appliances is plastic mechanisms (gears, actuators, brackets, etc). These tend to become brittle or soft with age or exposure to chemicals and lead to early failure. Of course metal also suffered from fatigue and there are quite strong and durable thermoplastics but today I see cheap plastic used liberally.
They decided to make the OP-Z out of plastic and it didn't hold up well. It's the fault of their poor design, or at least the type of plastic they decided to use, not the materials.
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