Hey everyone, happy August! Here's what we've been doing at Opulo this month:
Lead Times
We're getting ready to bring our official lead times down a bit after having spun up some considerable new infrastructure and hired some folks on.
Some production expansion
And yet, like clockwork, we've seen a huge spike in order volume that makes it even harder to work down this backlog. Before the spike, we had approximately a week of an internal lead time, but that has gone up to about two or three at present.
We are actively on the hunt for new assembly technicians and we're interviewing a ton of folks over the next couple weeks to help keep up with demand. If you're in the Pittsburgh area and interested, please don't hesitate to apply!
As always, the official lead time on each product's product page is the most accurate metric for when you'll see your hardware ship! There's a good chance we ship early, but we keep it where it is to ensure we're able to stick to our estimate.
Paste Utility
A couple weeks ago, I published an update to the Paste Utility that makes the Paste Extruder much easier to use.
There are two new features that make it simple to paste a PCB:
- Gerber Import: You can actually import the gerber files from your ECAD software, and the tool will use them to figure out where your board needs paste, and even where the board's fiducials are.
- Fiducial Calibration: That's right, the tool now runs machine vision! It connects to your machine's top camera, and can perform fiducial calibration to accurately align all the placements with precisely where your board is mounted.
I made a video walking through the new tool and how it works if you'd like to learn more about the improvements.
If you have a Paste Extruder on your LumenPnP, I'd love to hear how it works out for you! In my testing it made things considerably easier to quickly paste a prototype board, but I'm excited to incorporate any feedback from folks that are using it themselves.
You can find the tool at paste.opulo.io.
Wide Feeders
Wide feeders are still undergoing R&D, and we're spending some time iterating on the film peeling mechanism. The flexture-based design has worked well for the 8mm and 12mm feeders that we've shipped thus far, but we're looking into what a spring-loaded tension system might look like, and what the benefits and drawbacks might be of that approach.
Some chatter in Discord also had us looking into the value of including a film tension sensor. This would let the film peeling gears grab much more tightly and not require a slip mechanism, so long as we know when it's time to stop peeling.
A very old feeder prototype with a film tension sensor
I've been working on some prototypes with these different approaches and understanding what these changes could mean for repeatability and accuracy with feeding operations. Lots of testing and exploration!
Board Mounting Hardware
We've added a small but useful item to the store: a separate kit of Board Mounting Hardware. Many folks told us they were buying extra Getting Started Kits just to get more parts for mounting PCBs to the LumenPnP's build area, so we broke it out into its own product.
If you're looking to get some more mounting hardware for your machine, you can now get some here.
Viagrid
When trying to make your own PCBs for rapid prototyping, it's very hard to make vias at home or in the office. Electroplating is messy, time consuming, and can be very expensive. Rivets are a pain in the butt and not super consistent. So, what if the vias were already there?
I designed a PCB that has a standard array of vias distributed throughout, and no traces. When you need to quickly prototype a PCB, you just design around this template of preexisting vias, toss it into the laser, and etch your design into the front and back. You're just choosing which net the vias are used for. They're already there, you're just choosing what they do.
I imagine there being this type of standard, effectively the solderless breadboard of SMT, that allows folks to quickly test complex designs in a matter of hours.
Designing the via layout is tricky. Too dense and you can't place large components. Too sparse, and you don't have enough connectivity. On a recent long flight, I tried designing a few different PCBs using this template and made some adjustments for usability. What resulted is a dynamic layout that should be able to accommodate the vast majority of designs.
I have some sample boards and a laser capable of etching FR4 PCBs on their way to the office so that I can test out this system. If it works, I could see this being an incredible tool for rapid prototyping. Paired with a LumenPnP and a Paste Extruder, it's about the fastest you can go from idea to prototype.
hardware.cafe
Alongside the recent video we posted about taking the LumenPnP through its most recent pass of certifications, we also launched a small website that aims to document helpful information for folks trying to also start a hardware company, called hardware.cafe.
This website is based on a Github repository that anyone can make a PR to, so if you'd like to contribute some information to the site to help other folks in the community, please don't hesitate to make a PR!
Reach Out
If you have any feedback, questions, or comments about this update, please don't hesitate to reach out to us here.
Thanks, and we'll see you next month!
-Stephen