Howdy Everybody,
We constructed and shipped 88 machines this previous month regardless of working into manufacturing hiccups. We’re getting nearer to our purpose of ~100 machines per 30 days. We’ve seen regular development in gross sales all through This autumn 2024 and into Q1 2025.
Manufacturing Updates:
We had 3 manufacturing sluggish downs this month. Boiler cap alignment pins that have been ordered the day earlier than Christmas obtained misplaced within the mail for two weeks which left us ready early within the month after we ran out of present stock. The overnighted replacements additionally had a climate delay. We now have sufficient provide of those pins for the rest of batch 3.
It’s been a battle to get good high quality sandpaper within the dimension we’d like for refinishing the unique 60 units of stainless elements that we acquired by air within the fall. After carrying by the unique set of 82in lengthy belts from China (Amazon), I sourced some domestically within the US resulting from a a lot shorter lead time. What I didn’t know is that I ordered the skinny model of the belts which created ripples from the bump of the seam. After extra analysis I discovered the identical firm makes a thicker model just like the unique belts from China. These carried out higher, however nonetheless not as easy because the originals. I used to be capable of finding the unique belts restocked on Amazon weeks later and ordered 2 units of these to get again to the graceful end.
Ending these plates is a 3 step course of which I discovered on my second journey to China final fall. I used to be in a position to replicate their brushing setup on a a lot smaller scale. I begin off with a rough belt to take away deep scratches and imperfections. I then transfer on to a center grade, then finer grade to get a easy really feel however brushed end. This problem was particular to this small cargo of elements and has subsequently been resolved within the shipments after.
The final decelerate was restrictor valves. The brand new elements we acquired have been higher than the earlier batch however nonetheless totally different from the unique ones we used in the beginning of manufacturing over a 12 months in the past. Points with restrictor valves sometimes imply that we’re QCing every machine far more than we must always must. The techs can often really feel a distinction in the best way it pulls and the temperature information is out of our typical vary.
We spent a while testing out modifications to the brand new elements and have been in a position to choose some manufacturing updates in home which produced constant outcomes. This meant that we have been swapping all the restrictor valve elements in every of the machines that have been flagged and performing a brand new set of two QC runs.
The brand new orders of fill tubes and heating parts have arrived each with excellent suits. Every of those will assist pace up the builds ever so barely. Using 3d printed take a look at match jigs have confirmed profitable as we’ve by no means had such persistently good becoming elements from these suppliers!
We appear to have additionally resolved a majority of the fogging boiler gauge points! We discovered {that a} mixture of tolerance stacks because of the manufacturing methodology of the gauges would typically result in the gauge o-ring not being compressed totally and permitting some steam to seep previous and get beneath the cap. We’ve been testing and utilizing thicker o-rings which give higher squeeze whatever the gauge manufacturing tolerances. Some gauges do nonetheless have points however the quantity must be a lot much less and we are going to ideally be catching all of them through the preliminary QC testing.
Random:
William despatched over this video the opposite week about what it takes to convey a product concept to manufacturing. I believe this creator did a implausible job at strolling viewers by every little thing from ideation, prototyping, and discovering suppliers to high quality management and gross sales.
A part of the rationale this video is so nice is that it breaks down the arduous course of for a comparatively easy product made out of a single materials and provider. Whereas the steps for us are nearly the identical, elements for the Argos come from a number of suppliers throughout China, Italy, Taiwan, and USA and performance requires electronics, pressurized water, transferring elements, and security compliance.
Someday I’d like to make an analogous video that’s extra targeted on our operations, however till then, please get pleasure from this spot on stroll by of precisely what we’ve been doing for the previous 5 years.
Product creation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gTz_JmlYtQ
Talking of which, we’ve formally hit 5 years in enterprise!!! Time actually flies!
For these which might be new right here, Ross got here up with the thought and began sketching designs in the direction of the top of 2018 simply after transferring to Colorado. This began as a enjoyable, artistic challenge stemming from a scarcity of what he needed in the marketplace. An reasonably priced, fashionable wanting lever machine with up to date electronics.
2019 was a 12 months of continued sketching, 3D CAD modeling, fatigue evaluation, enterprise planning, and product technique in Ross’ free time.
January 2020 is when the LLC was shaped and issues began to get actual. The primary prototype was manufactured and assembled with preliminary testing kicking off later that 12 months. This was after we began on social media as a method to gauge curiosity within the product and decide market feasibility.
2021 was spent sourcing suppliers and having preliminary pre-production items made for continued testing and proofs of idea. William joins in on the enjoyable! Pre-orders have been opened on our website with overwhelmingly constructive response and we started to kick off manufacturing of the initially launched elements. 2 designers have been introduced on half time for the subsequent 8 months to assist take the prototype design to a manufacturing state with refined match, end, and performance.
Design, manufacturing, and fundraising continued in parallel by 2022 and our first technicians have been employed later that 12 months. We assembled elements as they arrived and commenced testing and formulating meeting procedures.
2023 closing elements arrived and we started transport items whereas rising the staff. Ross was too scared to rent full time techs as we have been nonetheless determining what the heck we have been doing however half time schedules have been troublesome to handle and we would have liked to extend manufacturing fee so we determined the beginning hiring full time on the finish of the 12 months.
Manufacturing was sporadic all through 2024 as we continued to make design refinements to resolve meeting points alongside the best way. Plenty of downside fixing. The constant small updates to design, meeting, and high quality management made stock administration a little bit chaotic. Some months have been nice and different months had delays. We shipped a complete of 536 machines final 12 months.
2025 is an thrilling new stage within the enterprise. We’re beginning to have a deal with on stock with our techs conserving observe weekly. Quite a lot of procurement classes are being carried out to scale back defects and enhance manufacturing high quality. We’re simply over a month in and have already shipped 18% (96 machines) of what we did in 2024.
To everybody who has remained affected person from the beginning, we thanks as you’re the rationale this enterprise is feasible! We stay up for persevering with to offer high quality espresso machines whereas pushing the bounds of what’s attainable in residence espresso.
