Lazarus Forge — Component Triage System > Role: Decision gateway between reuse and destruction. The Component Triage System exists to answer one question with speed, honesty, and minimal energy: Can this component or subassembly still function—or be restored to function—at lower total cost than fabricating a new one? Everything that passes triage is preserved as embodied complexity. Everything that fails triage enters material recovery. Triage always occurs before any material enters destructive processing. --- I. Core Principles 1. Non-Destructive First Never destroy or disassemble a component if a non-invasive test can establish viability. 2. Progressive Depth Begin with the fastest, lowest-energy test. Escalate only when value is plausible. 3. Human–Machine Hybrid Early forges rely on human judgment. Automation increases only after repeatable patterns emerge. 4. Energy & Time Accounting Each test has a known energy/time cost. A component must justify deeper testing. 5. Traceability Every triaged item receives a physical provenance tag (QR, RFID, etched mark, or paint code). --- II. Triage Workflow Overview Incoming material is pre-sorted by humans or crude mechanical means (size, magnetism, bulk type). Components then pass through modular triage stations. Stations may be skipped if earlier results are decisive. --- III. Modular Triage Stations Station 0 — Visual & Basic Mechanical (Human + Simple Tools) Purpose: Rapid rejection of obvious failures. Visual inspection for cracks, burns, deformation, corrosion Manual spin, shake, and resistance checks Electrical continuity check (where applicable) Decision time: < 2 minutes per item Tools: Flashlight Multimeter Marker / paint pen Bins labeled: Good / Maybe / Scrap --- Station 1 — Electrical & Electronic Components Priority Items: Motors Transformers Batteries Inverters PCBs Solenoids Test Rigs: Motor Test Bench DC or AC supply Variable load (resistive bank, dynamo, or friction brake) Measures: No-load current Stall torque (approximate) Winding resistance Insulation resistance Pass Guidance: ≥ ~70% of expected performance or “sufficient for forge duty” Battery Test Charge–discharge cycle Accept partial capacity for stationary use Electronics Screening ESR and capacitance checks Visual inspection for thermal damage --- Station 2 — Mechanical Components Priority Items: Bearings Gears Linear rails Pumps Structural members Methods: Bearing Spin Rig Motorized spindle Vibration sensor (MEMS accelerometer acceptable) Audible and spectral noise assessment Gears & Linkages Visual wear comparison charts Go/no-go gauges (forge-made) Lubricant inspection (color, smell, particulates) Structural Metal Ultrasonic thickness measurement Simple bend or load testing jigs --- Station 3 — Functional Subassembly Test Targets: Gearboxes Power tools Pumps Fans Method: Standardized plug-and-play harnesses Known loads (water column, inertia wheel, resistive load) Runtime: 5–15 minutes Outcomes: Pass → Direct reuse stock Partial → Repair queue Fail → Disassemble for sub-components or scrap --- Station 4 — Assisted Borderline Evaluation (Later-Stage Forge) Introduced gradually as data accumulates. Vision-based crack and wear detection Acoustic analysis of motor hum Comparison against historical triage outcomes Predictive lifespan estimation This station never overrides earlier stations—it only refines borderline calls. --- IV. Data & Learning Loop Each triage event records: Component type Source object Tests performed Energy/time spent testing Decision outcome Eventual fate (used, repaired, scrapped) Early systems may log on paper. Later systems digitize and aggregate. This data refines: Pass/fail thresholds Test ordering Repair vs replace heuristics --- V. Minimum Viable Triage (Gen-1 Forge) A first-generation forge can operate with: One skilled human operator Multimeter 12 V / 48 V battery bank Salvaged loads (lights, heaters, pumps) Handwritten performance board for known-good components This alone preserves the motors, bearings, and power hardware required to bootstrap the Forge. --- VI. Guiding Axioms Test cheap. Destroy expensive. A marginal component today beats a perfect ingot tomorrow. Doubt means test deeper. Certainty means move fast. --- > Triage is not about hoarding. It is about respecting embodied work already paid for by the universe. This document evolves only with demonstrated operational need.