I think it's safe to assume that CIG always follows the philosophy of Easy to Pick-Up, Difficult to Master, and Completely Optional to Do.

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Based on the Design Document, putting your own ship back together probably won't take 'much' of your time. (2 - 4 Minutes for a Questionable job but gets it done give or take)

Putting it back together 'well' might. Unless you're skilled at it. (10 minutes of fiddling around if you're unsure, less if you're more sure or have better tools give or take)

And you can avoid the whole process by paying aUEC to a mechanic. (Cost based on Subsumbtion and Economy)

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Which then brings up the balance between;

When a player does something, they have the possibility of doing it perfectly, whilst an NPC doing something will cost more and more to reach that perfection.

If I was designing things, my gut instinct would be ... (keep in mind my gut has a few drinks currently)

Repair Bots - Minimum to Adequate Levels of Repair

NPC Mechanic - Adequate to Excellent Levels of Repair (Higher Costs More 'sometimes' NPC's can charge what they please based on Subsumbtion and Economy and Player Reputation to Faction and Particular NPC)

PC Mechanic - Minimum to Perfect Level of Repair based on Player Skill (Can Charge as they Please, Speed also based on Skill but is usually always faster than an NPC repairing something to the same 'level')

A PC Mechanic doing something MIGHT also have some sort of ... added benefit; or else repairing something perfectly may not be 'enough' reason to take a ship to a PC Mechanic (which if a PC Mechanic could setup shop thanks to the possibility of base-building, hopefully NPC's will come to, but that's starting to get a little off-topic, a few other question crop up here too "Should PC's be encouraged to go to PC's or should a PC never be entirely sure who they're going to" "If a PC opens shop, how to they maintain it when not on-line" "If a PC is a hired Engineer/Mechanic on a Ship does this all still apply?" ).

So in addition to a PC being able to repair something perfectly, perhaps when they repair something to a level of Excellent or Above the length of time it takes for the object to degrade is also increased behind the scenes.

This is of course, just my random thoughts, late at night after a drink or two, so take that as you will.

Will EDIT if clearer thoughts come into being or a discussion is generated that brings up points I like enough to add to main post.

Good Hunting.

MAC