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Batch One Order Finalized
The manufacturing order for Batch 1 was finalized and submitted last week, however production cannot start until the validation report comes in. While it’s incredibly tempting to go ahead and begin production, validation is the most critical step in ensuring great part quality.
Validation is ongoing
Material Inspection / Alloying Report (in progress)
CMM reports and Tolerance Validation (in progress)
Firsthand Inspection of Validation Samples (in progress)
Validation is ongoing right now. The test parts are almost done being produced, and we’re waiting to see if they comply with specifications we set forth in the engineering drawings.
Samples of our aluminum have been sent to an independent lab to verify that it is properly alloyed and correctly tempered 6061-T6 and that the material stock itself is defect-free. We’re currently awaiting the inspection report.
Additionally, validation samples are being sent to us right now for first-hand inspection and approval. 8/23 parts have been created as of last Wednesday.
Currently, we are on track for Late December. If validation takes longer than expected, it may push us into January shipping dates. If an issue arises, I’ll break news of the delay. For now we are on schedule, but I wanted to mention this to be as transparent as possible, and uphold my promise of being upfront about the delivery schedule.
Concerns about Aluminum Pricing
Over the past week, there have been concerns in the Small Form Factor community about aluminum pricing, as other case makers have reported issues securing supplies when the price of aluminum jumped considerably. This will not affect Winter Design Co and will not be a cause for delay, as we secured our manufacturing allocations over the summer.
Packaging
The exterior design of Winter One’s packaging is being kept a surprise, so I will not reveal the box art itself. However, I do want to talk about the internals of the box and how we’re handling packaging.
Winter One will come flat-packed, with each part encased in an environmentally friendly foam that’s ideal for handling machined parts.
A lot of consideration has gone into the packaging arrangement. I wanted to make sure Winter One was a pleasure to unpack and assemble. Along with the case parts, it will include a small card with a QR code on it for accessing the digital Winter One manual.
Parts are stacked in 7 layers of foam and are arranged roughly in the build order you will need to assemble the case. Here’s what the packaging inside the box will look like:
Check out the SFF Network Thread
The Winter One Thread on SmallFormFactor.net has been active for a while. Currently people are planning their builds in the case. If you’re interested in joining the conversation, need build help, or want to learn about the design history of Winter One, the thread has been running for over a year.
That’s all for this week. You’ll hear from us again in 7 days! :)
To see all images from this post, visit the Kickstarter.