What Goes Into Each Camera Build

Hey,

For this week’s update, I wanted to you give an insight into what happens behind the scenes for each camera build release. It’s taken a fair bit of tweaking but I’ve gotten the total build time to about an hour.

A bit of background

I’ve always had a love for hands on manufacturing and optimizing operations. I’ve worked in the automotive industry for over a decade, starting early in my career as a Manufacturing Lead for a parts shop and working my way up to Director of Business Systems, where I design and implement solutions to improve all aspects of operations.

Workspace

So right now I’m set up in our spare bedroom in the basement. I previously had it set up as a music studio, but have since converted it into a workspace. I’ve got 4 Bambu A1 Mini 3d printers running and a makeshift workbench.

Inventory Planning

In order to respond quickly to demand, I have an ERP system setup to keep track of all the components and their lead times. To minimize the amount of time managing 3d printing, I’ve outsourced all of the smaller body components to a local 3d printer and stock them based on my planned drop cycle. I then plan out all of the required electronics based on their respective lead times. For example, I carry a higher safety stock of sensors because they have a 6 week lead time and lower stock of Raspberry Pi’s because I can get them in a couple days.

Manufacturing Approach

Since I have a 6 week wait for sensors to arrive, I spend that time doing batch manufacturing of preassembled subcomponents so that I can quickly assemble and test cameras as I receive orders. This also gives me flexibility to sell the camera as a kit or fully assembled without extra complexity.

For example, here is a batch of 9 front plates that I assembled. This entails using JB weld to mount the Sony E-Mount to the 3d printed sensor plates.

One of my least favourite operation is installing heated inserts. To get this done quickly, I use a heated insert press and usually complete batches of 10 bodies at a time:

Here are some other pictures from the build process:

Overall, I really enjoy the building process and being hands on with the camera. That said, I know I’ll need to step back from the build process if I want this platform to scale, and I have plans to expand operations in the near future.

If you’re someone who has bought one of my products — thank you. It’s been a fun 6 months so far, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the rest of the year takes this.

Cheers,

Malcolm