WE’RE ALMOST THERE!
Watch out world, the second batch of Raise keyboards is in production!
Last week, we finally assembled the first 125 Dygma Raise units as a test run. We call this the Design Validation Test or DVT.
The Raise keyboards in this second batch are no different from the ones from the first. However, we did make improvements with some essential components which we talked about in our previous update.
Just to give you guys a quick rundown.
- We changed our supplier for the cables so we could have better quality ones. Our previous supplier didn’t reach the high standards that we were looking for. Now, our cables were tested and 100% passed
- The same goes for the palm pads. We changed suppliers to a more experienced one and now we have new and better palm pads.
- The connectors in the PCBs were also modified. Now the fit of the cables to the keyboard is more secure.
- We changed the inner material of the travel case from spandex to lycra so it feels softer and smoother.
- And we also changed the black ABS keycaps to better quality ones.
Besides these, we also changed the glue for the metal joint component.
The metal joint is the component placed in the inner sides of the Raise where both halves attach. It is attached to the base of the Raise.
We had a machine made to automate the gluing process of the joint. In the previous batch, this was done by hand.
Our assembly process for this batch is also different.
One thing we have to take into account is that now there is a massive demand of work needed from China. All multinational tech giants are paying big bucks to have all the good factories and all the good workers work for them.
Because of the lack of workers, we had to change our assembly line strategy.
If you want to learn how the assembly process was in our first batch, you can check it out here.
In our second batch, there will be a smaller team of workers who will be assembling the product, – starting from screwing the PCBs to the base, to mounting the switches, to then putting the mounted keyboard and all other components inside the travel case.
Despite there being fewer people, the process is more specialized as one person assembles one keyboard. What’s more important is that these people are skilled engineers and they are now more knowledgeable about our product.
The remaining units are already being assembled this week and we hope to get all done before the month ends.
The Raise keyboards that have already been mounted will undergo the outgoing quality control (OQC), and a partial amount will be shipped to Spain for the final quality assurance (QA). We can expect to receive the first shipment by the end of the month. We plan to ship the keyboards in batches to Spain so we can start sending out keyboards to customers before July.
TENTING UPDATES
The Dygma tenting component is still in development. We’ve been talking back and forth to our suppliers, asking them to make adjustments and to send the prototypes here to Spain for us to check.
We received the latest samples this week and have made minor design changes in the aesthetics and modified the position of the legs.
We have requested that the edges of the base be rounder and the legs be wider. So for now, we are waiting for the factory to make another sample that we can verify.
We know many of you are eagerly waiting for the tenting kit. We were hoping that we would already have this available by now. But since we are restricted from traveling, we don’t have the opportunity to actually go to China and personally see the samples. We need to wait till they arrive here in Spain and then check. So it’s taken longer than expected.
What’s certain is that we will first make 150 units using CNC aluminum.
The housing is made of POM plastic. The legs and the base are made of aluminum.
Prototype samples – missing the screws and rubber feet
With your feedback, we will improve the design if needed.
If there is a high demand for orders, then we will consider having a mold built so we can efficiently manufacture more tenting kits.
If you are interested in the tenting component, you can write down your details in the Raise Tenting Waitlist and we will inform you when the tenting is available for order.
AWESOME YOUTUBE REVIEWS!
We’re starting to cover some serious media ground, and we have these cool people to thank for. The community response was amazing and we can’t wait to do more stuff.
Our first keyboard review was done by James in the ShortCircuit channel. SC is a secondary channel of Linus Tech Tips, arguably one of the biggest tech YouTubers in the gaming field.
Hardware Canucks also made a very thorough review of our baby, saying: “For everything from gaming to ergonomic typing, this might be one of the best keyboards of 2020!”A BIG SHOUTOUT TO OUR DYGMATES ON OUR SUBREDDIT!
Our subreddit is buzzing! We have such an engaging community willing to help out and answer any questions potential customers ask. Many Dygmates also share photos of their Raise and talk about their experiences with it.
Head over to our subreddit now and join our growing community!
That’s it for this week’s update! Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next one!
– Dygma Team
