Wed, Mar 16 2011
In December, we found what we thought was the perfect factory for Kōsoku, our new dog-friendly leash. The factory would take care of every part of the leash-making process — the metal, the plastic, the soft goods, the whole shebang. But we were encountering a couple of problems along the way, like disorganized workflow, confusion about product specs, etc. We want to cover our bases, so we’re also checking out other potential factories.
To learn more about this product, check out the Kōsoku product page.
Jordan and Nikki provide the latest updates on Pivot Power and play around with prototypes in black and white SKUs. Internal props are still going through regulatory approval. Because of the high demand for this product, we’re talking to our factory about opening up additional tools to increase output per day.
To learn more about this product’s manufacturing history, check out our previous production reports.
Jordan and Nikki give the latest update on Shower Station, our new modular shower organizer. We received T1 samples for Shower Station on February 3. The fit is great, and the baskets fit two bottles of shampoo, as promised. We still need to improve the curvature of the aluminum, the sturdiness of the clamps, and the suction cups that attach the back of the frame to your bathroom wall. The factory is just opening back up after Chinese New Year, and we’re expecting the next round of T2 samples to arrive in around two weeks.
For more info on Shower Station and to make a presale commitment, check out the product page!
Just like our other products in production, Contour is moving along swimmingly. Check out the latest update from Jordan and Nikki (Skyping in from China).
The gist:
- Nikki’s in China, pushing along a number of our products (Contour included) before Chinese New Year kicks off at the end of January and our factories essentially “shut down” until mid-February.
- Since Contour launched, we’ve been trying to reduce the amount of material needed for the product. We’ve managed to shave off approximately 20-25% of the overall material.
- We also wanted to choose the right kind of plastic. We ultimately went with ABS plastic so we can incorporate flocking. Because of that, we had to revise the living hinge design on the body of Contour — the clip that attached to the top. The clip will now be a separate part made out of polypropylene and will feature a living hinge.
- That day, Nikki met with a great supplier that also handles Click ‘n Cook to discuss several products, including Contour.
- The product is now in tooling, and we’re aiming to see a T1 sample before Chinese New Year.
Gaz and Nikki (via Skype) share the latest production updates on Contort, our new flexible USB hub.
Highlights:
- Nikki will be in China FOREVERRRRRR.
- We just cut a purchase order for charcoal-colored Contorts.
- We started out at one factory (the same one as Split Stick). We went all the way to tooling, but then realized that the factory wasn’t too capable at co-molding. We decided to partner with another factory (the same that makes Cordies) to solve those co-molding issues. So now we have two factories working on different elements of this product.
- We have working T3 samples in-house and we’re using and testing them around Quirky HQ.
- Next steps: We’ll be experimenting with different hardnesses for the TPE. We’re trying to make sure the neck is flexible and strong enough. We want to make sure the color is pure white (not off-white).
- After working through these issues, we hope to ship units from the factory before Chinese New Year. Fingers crossed!
Highlights:
- Production is going a little slower than we hoped.
- The factory was supposed to deliver a T1 sample on November 30, but the date has been delayed until December 23. This factory still offers the best quality, so we’re sticking with it.
- We’ve finalized the design for the tool box — it will be a cool, smoky translucent plastic with the logo on top.
- We’re hoping to ship no later than January 10, and we’ve asked the factory to pay a penalty if they don’t meet that deadline.
Previous production updates: Production Report #1, Production Report #2
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