The production process is underway

Above: CAD drawing of the Bit connected to the backplane of Vestaboard, which we have now released for tooling

We are excited to share the news that we’re passing the cusp of our next major milestone in production -- we have started to “tool up” with the molds and production equipment for the “Bit”! We’ve also ordered our first run of production materials. This is significant because whenever manufacturing a product for the first time, it is necessary to turn the fun theories of prototyping into practice. Some of our assumptions about materials or performance during prototyping do not always match how materials will actually perform, how the parts fit together or whether suppliers can provide parts at the right prices. For the Bit we are now at a point where we feel confident enough with all of that to finally begin the production process. We are grateful for our experienced, global team who help ensure quality every step of the way as we move into EVT.  (Learn more about EVT in this post.)

Each Bit is comprised of a black casing which contains a spinning wheel that displays the various numbers, letters, punctuation, and color by using split-flaps. The Bits are attached to the backplane of the Vestaboard with a handy mechanism, and then encased in a solid aluminum frame and mask. The frame and mask of Vestaboard is removable so that you can get easy and safe access to replace a Bit should it ever fail. On that note, we have been running the final prototyped Bits in our offices 24x7 every 10 seconds for the last six weeks to confirm that the Bits will be highly reliable inside Vestaboard. And we can say with confidence, that they will be!

below: This quick video clip shows the Bits that have cycled over 500,000 times in the last six weeks. These Bits are made using 3D printing with a white material, but the production Bits will be black.

We’ll be sharing more drawings, video and images of the entire Vestaboard and the production process soon!