Project Update #30: Production Update!

Posted by Jean Le Bouthillier ♥ Like
Hello Backers,
The latest news concerning the three issues we had are as follows:
1) RUMBA PCB - SOLVED!
We have received 500 RUMBA boards from the original designer following all his recommendations for the brand of critical components. The boards preform quite well and they are tested for each unit before shipment. We exercise all motion axis, test heat bed, test hot end, fan, LEDs and LCD functionality. The supplier has agreed for a 1 to 1 exchange for any board that doesn't pass our test.
2) Hot Ends - ONGOING ISSUE!
We are having a very hard time finding a supplier that produces hot ends (in particular the aluminium nozzles) that meet our specifications - consistently. We've tried a lot of samples, but the consistency is not present. When we order larger quantities we find that some nozzle holes are not round (oval), that the holes are not straight or that the inside of the nozzles are not smooth. Some nozzles are fine, but we do not want to purchase a couple hundred nozzles to find that 25% are not to spec and causing problems for users.
To mitigate this issue and to end the game of "hit and miss", we have purchased the necessary equipment to drill the hot end hole ourselves with high quality carbide drill bits (0.35, 0.4 and 0.5 mm). We have ordered a special drill that spins at 50,000 RPM for this task and a special microscope to inspect the result.
Why should we care?
We care, because the hot end (the dispensing system) is one of the most critical components of the printer. When the nozzle hole is not smooth nor straight it can lead to poor finishing on the parts and a high frequency of nozzle clogging (which is time consuming to fix for the user).
With the new equipment, we think that we will be able to master this area of the production within a week.
3) Heat Bed V3.0 - SOLVED!
We have a new heat foil with a thicker trace that can go as high as 110 degree Celsius. To further improve the system we have a laminate type of insulator (similar to Formica) that will be fitted under the heat foil to direct all the heat upwards towards the glass.
The materials from the bottom -> Laminate Insulator (in green) -> Kapton heat foil -> Glass, create a high performance heat bed (the V3.0 Heat Bed).
Heat Bed V3.0 Concept (Top View)
Below is a video of the laminate insulator being cut.

► Play video

Shipping BETA units - Soon!
We currently have BETA units ready for shipment minus the hot ends which we are still struggling with. These units have been tested for motion and other components are functional. We plan to ship as soon as possible as our target was the 27th, but we could not ship due to the hot end issue we have at the moment.
Units in various stages of production (old picture)
Finally, I also have a short video showing the machines and the custom marking we have on the bottom corner with "Boots Industries".

► Play video

Shipping Test
Last week we shipped a unit halfway across the world to test our packaging system and we are quite happy to report that the unit was received with ZERO damage and 100% working condition. We also discovered that the unit is much heavier and bulkier than the V2.0. We might realistically need to increase the shipping cost from 60$ to closer to 100$ before we ship. We will confirm this in the next update.
First packaging test is a success!
Thank you and let us know your thoughts!