Topic: First batch build progress
Hello,
Here are some news about our progress, as of friday 6/4/18
What do we do ourselves? from who are we supplying? Where we are?
Mechanical part
All the complex plate parts are laser cut, we subcontract that from a local company. We already got a run for a single kit, to test the parts, especially last minute improvements, and tolerances, no big issue encountered. 100 batch is planned for next friday (13rd)
Screws/nuts/spacers are supplied locally, ordered today. We buy in bulk, so we'll have to prepare kits (count and put in bag)
Aluminium tube and profilés, already cut all the parts. Next big job is to drill... we do that ourself.
We already built a prototype of the tooling. Today be build the definitive one in a more stable material. Next week, drilling...All other supplies like motor, belt, pulley, shaft support etc.... comes from China, we received everything.
Electronic part
Mainboard PCB design is finalized. Found a subcontractor in France to make the PCB and assemble the SMDs. Ordered.
Components are already delivered.
PCB delivery planned week of 16th. We'll have to solder trough holes connectors, and flash the MCU.Daughter boards / shields : Testing the different options, including GSM and Lora in addition of Sigfox. For components supply and planning issues, we'll assemble that ourselves.
Sigfox modules, GSM modules, Lora modules (for proto), antennas, are ordered. Still to order PCB (quite fast). Assembly planned for week 16thCase : we already received the case. We have to drill them, and build a part for sealing the cables going out. It's likely to be a 3D printed part and some acrylic or silicone paste to seal. We'll deliver a small amount in syringe, to avoid you to build a 300ml cartridge, and throw away of let dry 295ml.
Packaging
Box and bag for screws are ordered, will be there soon (next monday likely).
Assembly manual
Already made something nice in the past, but we have to complete it with last modifications. It'll look like the video on the
website, black wire of white background (Ikea manual inspired ;-) ). I think it's the most readable when printed on paper.We'd like, it time allows, ask some friends, normally handy, who doesn't know the project, to assemble it, and we observe him without helping, to see what would make assembly confusing. We already worked hard to make the easiest possible, by reducing the amount of different parts, to avoid parts looking like the same, but not the same, by marking a reference on laser cuts etc...
But there is a big bias.... We know our project like our pocket. We need a virgin brain ;-)We'd like also, in addition, film ourself mounting completely one scale, from packaging opening, to electronic configuration.
Might help to see how we mount it the easiest way. Because sometimes, it looks easy on paper, but it happens the last screw are pretty inaccessible.List the the necessary tools, to be done.
Pictures soon...