In this Shop Talk Update, we will be focusing on the nitty-gritty details of the steps we are taking to ensure quality and performance. These phases in the manufacturing process are known as the Engineering Validation Tests (EVT) and the Quality Assurance (QA) phase. During this period, our team is checking for every aspect of the production (from electronics to the plastics to the soft goods), to ensure quality and performance before we move on to the pre-production phase.
THE VERY TOOL THAT MAKES NORA BEDSIDERS!
Nora’s Bedsider
We are happy to report that our plastic tooling is now complete. This is a significant milestone; we are now finalizing the texture and finish of the plastics and working on the interior of the bedsider to ensure there are no light leaks. The LED lights of the bedsider are also optimized to be visible in daylight, and yet not too bright and distracting in a dark bedroom at night. This is a balancing act, achieved through a combination of fine-tuning the chemistry of the light pipes and adjusting the brightness of the LEDs by modifying the specs of the resistors on the PCB board. With final materials at hand, fully assembled units are checked for durability, drop tests, life testing and more.
THE INJECTION MOLDING TOOL AND THE TOOL BED
A LAYER OF BLACK COATING IS APPLIED TO THE INTERIOR TO PREVENT LIGHT LEAKS
FIXING THE LIGHT LEAK (BEFORE & AFTER)
Packaging
We are fine-tuning the colours of the portable case and have adjusted its size to be slightly more compact and easier to carry. Our packaging and print material are also completed and coming along nicely. We visited our partnering vendors to see their progress and have been happy with the results.
Firmware Testing
While checking these physical components, we continue to fine tune our firmware and improve its overall performance. As we mentioned in the previous posts, the tests consist of simulating a bedroom environment by replicating the sounds that you might hear in your bedroom overnight, including traffic, fans, white noise machines, rustling sheets or barking dogs. We then analyze Nora's performance in these environments (whether quiet or noisy) and improve its response to noise and sounds of snoring.
