Let’s begin with the nice information: we have begun transport the primary 100 Dygma Defy keyboards, and a few are already of their new houses 🎉
The primary studies are very constructive, but it surely may properly be simply the sheer emotion of receiving one thing you’ve got waited for therefore lengthy 😅
If you wish to maintain updated with their first impressions, head over to our Discord and Reddit, the place they’re sharing them reside.
And that is it; keep tuned for extra information subsequent week, together with:
- An replace on the ETA for mass manufacturing
- The brand new Bazecor 1.3.2, which provides battery administration options for the Dygma Defy.
New Bazecor 1.3.2
Final week we launched a new model of Bazecor, our configurator software program. It consists of a number of normal enhancements and new options for the Dygma Defy ✨
For instance, now we have a new cloud-based firmware replace course of. The firmware is not hooked up to the software program, so we will roll out firmware updates with out releasing new software program variations.
This course of additionally has a brand new UI exhibiting the progress of the step-by-step flashing process.
There’s additionally a new Wi-fi part the place you’ll be able to see the connection standing, the battery ranges, an energy-saving mode, and a few RF settings.
We wish extra superior vitality administration choices prepared when mass manufacturing ships, however this provides the fundamentals.
We’ve additionally added a fast battery menu on the backside left nook. Should you hover over it, you’ll be able to see your battery ranges.
However having to open Bazecor to see your battery degree isn’t optimum, so we have added a battery standing key that you could assign to your keyboard. While you press it, it will present you the battery degree or if it is charging.
- 🔴 One pink LED means lower than 10%
- 🟢 One inexperienced LED means lower than 40%
- 🟢🟢 Two means between 40 and 70%
- 🟢🟢🟢 And three imply above 70%
- 🔋 While you’re charging, the lights will pulse inexperienced in a sequence
Lastly, we’re engaged on implementing change between totally different BT gadgets. You may solely have one by one now, so we have added a Reset key to disconnect and join to varied gadgets.
Okay, so the software program is progressing steadily. Now to the meat of the matter: mass manufacturing.
New ETA for mass-production
After fixing the issue with the PCB testing and validation bottleneck, we’re now fortunately assembling the highest block of the keyboard – that is the highest panel with the keyscanner PCB and the switches. On the time of recording this final Wednesday, now we have about 2000 prepared 🥳
So, our Provide Chain Supervisor, Aitor, continued to make sure all our suppliers met the deadlines and the standard requirements.
And he discovered three totally different dragons to combat:
Manufacturing Challenges
The palm pads
The primary quest needed to do with the palm pads. The primary batch arrived at our meeting manufacturing facility, and after we did our Incoming High quality Management, 80% failed: most had glue stains on the floor, and others had imperfections within the seams. So we rejected all of them 😭
While you get such a horrible acceptance ratio, you need to reassess how that product is manufactured. You may’t throw away 4 out of 5 you make.
So, we redesigned the mildew once more to have a barely taller facet wall (about 1 mm), and now the silicon pad is caught to the bottom of the palm pad with industrial double-sided tape as an alternative of glue.
We have needed to wait to make a pattern and take a look at it –it stayed in a chamber for 3 days the place the temperature fluctuated from 60º to -30º Celsius – however we’re now again to manufacturing.
Thankfully, the palm pads are added to the keyboard throughout success, so we had some leeway, which will not have an effect on the timeline. However our hearts can solely address so many of those surprises. And extra have been on their manner.
The tenting legs
This one is my private “favourite.” The aluminum tenting legs for the Defy have been purported to be delivered over the last week of July. And after we went to the manufacturing facility to do a fast examine, none have been completed 😳
To be honest, all of the aluminum components have been performed, however they hadn’t glued the anti-slip tip. They mentioned that we did not have to fret, that they’d do this with a machine and output 1000’s a day.
You may see the place that is going: the machine could not stick the anti-slip correctly, and now they needed to do it by hand. So as an alternative of 1000’s, they might solely do 120 units a day. And also you want two units per keyboard!
So, as soon as once more, we sat down with them to discover a resolution, which in the end got here all the way down to asking a close-by manufacturing facility for extra skilled staff. The timeline can be tight –we’ll obtain the legs in batches as an alternative of all on the similar time– however bullet dodged 😮💨
On to the following one.
The bottom
This can be a humorous one. The bottom is among the issues that anxious us the least as a result of it is the identical provider that does the meeting, but it surely is likely to be the half that impacts the timeline.
Manufacturing and Success Adjustments
Our provider determined to repair some imperfections within the mildew that have been inflicting little anomalies within the plastic. And it turned out that eradicating a few of these anomalies – particularly those across the hinges – made the tenting legs unfastened.
So, once more, retool the mildew to repair it, take a look at it, and return to manufacturing. However over every week was misplaced. It is not a tragedy as a result of we have continued assembling high blocks.
Nevertheless, we needed to have a couple of thousand keyboards able to ship to Spain by subsequent week, and as an alternative, we’ll have two thousand by the top of the week after.
However do not attain to your torches and pitchforks simply but 😅
We have been engaged on a particular undertaking for the final couple of months that can be prepared in time to avoid wasting the day.
The brand new success
Because the inception of Dygma, high quality management has been certainly one of our high priorities. At first, we did not have sufficient manpower to have somebody in China to supervise manufacturing on a regular basis. And that led to many high quality points.
Our resolution on the time: ship the keyboards to Spain and do high quality management and last success right here.
When the pandemic hit, having the ability to ship from Spain saved us. We may proceed manufacturing remotely to examine and validate the product right here.
However in itself, the system is inefficient. We’ve to ship the keyboards to Spain, which may take as much as two months by sea, after which ship them worldwide. Additionally, after we discover imperfections right here in Spain, we frequently haven’t got the instruments, components, or information to appropriate them.
Additionally, our success middle right here has much less capability; even when we rent additional folks, there’s restricted area, so it takes longer to satisfy large batches just like the Defy mass manufacturing.
Transport the keyboards from the place we make them can be higher, utilizing the meeting manufacturing facility’s information and amenities and with a skilled workforce accessible for when there are spikes within the workload 📈
Ideally, we’d manufacture in Spain or Europe, however for those who’ve watched our “Why is every thing made in China” video, you may know that it is nonetheless not possible for complicated electronics like our keyboards.
You are able to do some issues like PCB meeting and a few mechanical components, however there’s not a sturdy ecosystem in place but.
Now that we have grown and our product and operations crew has quadrupled, together with our beloved Provide Chain Supervisor, Aitor, we will have somebody all the time in China to supervise manufacturing and success on a regular basis 👩🔬
So, as an alternative of transport the merchandise to Spain, we’ll have a high quality management and success line in our meeting manufacturing facility. Jairo, our Chief of Operations, will fly there subsequent week to set it up, and he’ll keep a number of weeks till every thing is operating easily and we’re transport keyboards steadily.
And, as we mentioned, we’ll all the time have somebody on the bottom to maintain high quality management in examine 🧐
We plan to do this for all non-European prospects. For these in Europe, we’ll nonetheless ship the keyboards to Spain. Since there are such a lot of keyboard variations, it is best to do the ultimate success right here.
That manner, we’ll additionally be sure that Europeans do not need to pay import taxes. For the remainder of the world, it would not matter if it ships from Spain or China. It is an import anyway.
So, what concerning the timeline?
The excellent news is that, with this new method, now we have shaved the time it takes for the keyboards to get to Spain, and we will additionally fulfill sooner. We deliberate to airfreight the primary runs, which might’ve taken two or three weeks.
This was the earlier timeline:
Leaving some respiratory room in case issues do not go as deliberate, the primary keyboards will begin transport over the last week of August as an alternative of early September.
Sure, you heard proper. The ETA has not been delayed however superior 🙌
Here is the brand new timeline:
And with that good observe, let’s name it a day.
As all the time, thanks a lot to your assist 😍
Tak skal du have 🇩🇰
