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Originally Posted by Kap'n
In most cases, I'd bet they give it to a tech to diagnose and repair. The first thing the tech would do is run the final test procedure on it. If it's a big manufacturer then that test is probably fully automated. If it passes that test then they assume it's operator error, put it back in the box, and slap a refurb sticker on it. If it fails then they diagnose it to the bad part (or subassembly if individual parts aren't easily replaceable), replace the faulty part, and rerun the test. If it passes then it goes back in the box.
Techs at most electronics manufacturing companies don't do QC. They just run the automated test equipment to verify that the product works. If it doesn't then they troubleshoot it to identify the faulty part and send it back for rework. Troubleshooting is often guided fault isolation where the ATE system walks the tech through the troubleshooting procedure, even telling the tech where to put the probe while the ATE performs the measurement. Test engineers usually write those guided fault isolation procedures, so the techs sometimes don't even fully understand how the unit works. They just do what the ATE system tells them to do.
Whether a repaired refurb goes back to QC for inspection depends on the company's policies. For most consumer electronics companies I'd guess it probably doesn't. It was inspected before they originally sold it, and the only thing that should have changed is whatever the tech replaced. They'd probably assume that the tech could inspect their own work. The tech might give it a quick once over to ensure that there aren't any obvious problems like broken knobs or switches, but they're not going to scrutinize it if it passed the test.
Bear in mind that it's been a long time since I worked in the consumer electronics industry as either a tech or engineer (being a boutique pedal maker doesn't count), and not all companies are the same. One thing I can say with some confidence is they aren't going to spend more on a refurb than they're going to recover when they sell it. Profit margins are often so low that even a production unit that requires rework because it didn't pass the first time has already wiped out any profit they would have made. The only reason they bother to rework it is to avoid losing the cost of the materials that went into making it. When the cost of the labor required to salvage it exceeds the cost of the materials then it's no longer worth it. The unit is scrap.
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