June 30, 2023 – Odyssey Espresso

Good day All,

As at all times, each good and dangerous information comes with the extent of transparency that we attempt to present. Let’s begin off with the dangerous and work our approach up from there.

I’ve Dropped the Ball with Lowered Shot Yield

I’m placing this primary as to not disguise it as it could be essential to some clients. This has been introduced up and mentioned on the EAF (Espresso Aficionados) Discord over a month in the past however I’m realizing that I’ve not given a correct replace on the subject of output yield. The unique declare for the Argos was a most shot yield of 55g. This quantity got here from the shot volumes that I used to be getting on the unique prototype machine. 

Whereas making many small design updates for manufacturing together with improved spring efficiency, lowering lever drive required, gauge/ transducer interface updates, and general usability, sufficient modified thereby lowering most shot output to 45g with a single pull. Whereas I’ve been pulling photographs on a manufacturing machine since January, there have been nonetheless many adjustments to the spring design and the chaos of making ready for manufacturing that I didn’t assume a lot of the lowered yield and the way which may affect clients that pull longer ratio photographs. 

We acknowledge that this can be a vital change from what was initially ordered which is why I need to make it clear earlier than delivery (the remainder of) the machines. The excellent news is that I’ve recognized a easy change that might be made to the piston linkage permitting direct lever pulls to realize as much as ~53g yield. This might be a backwards suitable half made within the subsequent batch that may simply be swapped into any machine from the unique batch to realize these outcomes. 

Now we have no plans to switch the machine to realize this yield within the spring configuration as that may require vital modifications to the design that may have adverse repercussions in different areas. A standard factor completed for spring (or direct) lever machines is what’s known as a “Fellini” from a clip of Fellini’s Orchestra Rehearsal the place the barista within the again is seen pulling the lever of a industrial spring machine down as soon as, releasing, then pulling once more. (https://youtu.be/xuiXwOOkib4?t=161) The issues of this maneuver are lack of constant extraction stress and unseating the espresso puck throughout the second pull. Unseating the puck shouldn’t be a priority on the Argos with our piston air bleed valve. I personally have carried out a Fellini on the Argos for testing excessive ratio recipes and discover the style and steadiness to be fulfilling. 

Processes and Documentation

This previous week has been gradual however essential for meeting. Our head Meeting Technician has taken a deep dive into our meeting course of, documenting detailed steps all through. With our meeting staff rising shortly, we would have liked a approach to make sure constant prime quality builds for all of our machines. This doc clearly lists every step with pictures, instruments, steps, and checks required for every step of the best way. 

As talked about within the final replace, we nonetheless had leaks attributable to improper hydrostatic testing. We’ve discovered methods to correctly check at a number of levels all through the construct course of and located that the leaks have been a direct results of inconsistent tightening torques. We bought a bigger torque wrench and particular adapters to permit us to torque all heating components to the suitable quantity as famous in our new documentation. 

We’ve began 3D printing meeting jigs to carry giant parts throughout meeting which protects each the elements and the technician whereas performing alignment and tightening procedures. 

Wooden Bonding inconsistencies 

Points with bonding our wooden elements to metallic have began to indicate up. That is particularly an issue with the magnets in our facet panels in addition to the wooden knob on the metallic boiler cap. We’ve decided this to be a direct results of poor floor preparation and inconsistent bonding practices. We use a really prime quality adhesive that’s FDA accepted as meals secure (regardless that it doesn’t see any water) and excessive temperature resistance however we shortly discovered that floor preparation is extraordinarily essential.

Now we have now examined and began utilizing higher floor preparation strategies in addition to utilizing a extra applicable quantity of adhesive for bonding our supplies collectively. Now we have additionally provide you with energy checks to carry out on every half to make sure an sufficient bond earlier than utilizing these elements on a machine. 

Grouphead Stress Gauge and Transducer Fitment

Sadly we’ve had points with the alignment and fitment of the grouphead stress gauge and transducer. It is a half that ships pre-assembled with the machines however requires closing meeting by the consumer. Resulting from slight misalignment of the shipped elements, it’s been very troublesome for purchasers to put in. We are actually testing a brand new fashion of becoming into the grouphead that’s the similar measurement as our unique becoming however now performs a compression seal as an alternative of an o-ring seal which can make set up a lot simpler for our clients whereas additionally making certain a safer match. We may also be doing a greater job of setting these sub assemblies up on a fixture in our store earlier than delivery to make sure an actual match on the machine. All present clients might be shipped a brand new meeting (minus transducer) with the brand new compression becoming put in to swap onto their machines. 

Hiring

We’ve employed 1 new meeting technician this week. This brings our complete as much as 4 half time technicians! One has been out for the previous month and the opposite out for the previous 2 weeks. This has lowered our output but in addition allowed us the time to correctly doc to make sure all machines might be going out with constant high quality from right here on out. Generally you should decelerate earlier than you possibly can velocity up.

We’re speaking with 2 extra half time technicians that we want to convey onto the staff. It at present takes 1 hour to construct up a whole machine. If we assume 4 technicians engaged on common 20 hours per week, 10 – 15 hours could be spent constructing and testing machines, and the opposite 5 – 10 hours could be spent cleansing elements, organizing, bonding wooden, constructing small sub assemblies, packing orders, and delivery. Even when we convey on the 1 to 2 extra technicians talked about above, I believe it’s nonetheless secure to imagine on the low facet the place we are able to construct anyplace from 40 – 60 machines per week with 4 technicians as soon as everyone seems to be ramped up.

Lot’s of numbers thrown out right here but when we proceed to slowly ramp up we must always have all machined shipped out inside 4.5 months.

CE Certification Updates

We’ve obtained our formal FCC/ ICES (US/ Canada), VCCI (Japan), KS C (Korea), AS/NZS CISPR (AU/ NZ), and CNS (Taiwan) documentation. UKCA and CE documentation are in progress.  

Transport Updates

We’ve completed meeting on 10 items and have shipped 7 of them out! In the event you ordered a spare piston meeting, it will likely be situated on the underside of the decrease packaging insert in the identical approach that your normal piston meeting is packaged on the highest of the higher insert when opening. Spare springs might be labeled on the highest of the spring. We’re nonetheless determining a extra subtle solution to label these transferring ahead.

Please bear in mind, when accepting and signing in your package deal, if there are any indicators of great harm please inform the supply particular person to notice that your package deal was broken upon receiving. You should still settle for the package deal and make contact with us however the receiver should explicitly inform the driving force to checklist the harm when signing in your machine to ensure that us to file a declare with the delivery firm. 

We’re persevering with to replace the consumer guide situated on our web site: USER MANUAL

For a video on unboxing, organising, and utilizing your Argos with suggestions and tips to get essentially the most out of your machine, watch right here: Odyssey Argos Unboxing and Set Up

New Movies might be posted subsequent. 

Critiques and Suggestions

Whereas machines are persevering with to go out the door every week, right here’s a reddit publish with replies from one among our preliminary clients! https://www.reddit.com/r/espresso/feedback/14i70lc/its_finally_here_odyssey_argos/

Different clients have instructed us:

“Relating to photographs, already higher than something I ever received with my La Pavoni. To be truthful, I sort of gave up after modding it with a thermocouple on the GH and the water heater mod. Round that point I ordered the Argos and it is simply sort of been sitting there since. In the present day I had my ninth, tenth, and eleventh shot all hours aside and so they have been just about all nice and similar.”

“Photographs are mushy and fairly outlined. Readability is superb.”

Subsequent Batch Pre-Orders

Pre-orders will re-open on Monday, Jul 3, 2023 10am MST for batch 2. Regardless of the gradual begin, we’re feeling very assured in our new meeting documentation, processes, and group. The plan is to simply accept new pre-orders with the objective of ordering extra stock 2 months from now. It should then take about 3 months for the elements to be manufactured and shipped to our facility in Denver. These elements ought to arrive as the ultimate Argos items from the primary batch are shipped out to clients. By planning forward we hope to stop our technicians from operating out of labor between batches. With this timeline, batch 2 items ought to begin delivery 6 months after ordering.

As talked about, the value of the Argos will enhance to $950 USD. We chosen this value as a steadiness between maintaining with the rise in materials and manufacturing prices in addition to preserving the value of a base Argos + US delivery lower than $1000 USD. Future will increase in manufacturing and materials prices might be handled by additional optimizing our design for improved manufacturability to cut back half prices. 

Argos Efficiency

We’re frequently enhancing the software program however I’ve lastly taken a while to report consecutive shot temperature knowledge with the Scace 2 and thermometer. All machines are at present cleaned and examined by pulling 4 photographs then steaming. We guarantee the height temperature of 4 photographs in a row all lies inside 2C of the set temperature. This accuracy is achieved with what we name a “good pull” the place all the air is bled out of the air launch valve within the piston as defined in our unboxing video.

We’re happy with this knowledge as comparable dipper (no pump) fashion lever machines require further thermal administration by the consumer and have a tendency to see on common 5C peak temperature will increase with every consecutive shot.