Production

Mass production here we come! I can’t believe it’s already been almost 3 months since we got funded! Time fly’s when you are busy! 😃

After a ton of initial planning work in the early part of January, which included listing out every little detail of the work needed to get production up and running. We started getting things done. Working with our plastic injection molding supplier on our mold tools, finding the best pricing on our fabrication equipment, placing orders, etc. etc. And with the end of March fast approaching we are on schedule and steadily moving towards getting you your Alpha Leash.

Below is our current planned schedule, along with our progress so far:

Injection Mold Tooling

Last month was spent looking at every last detail of the Alpha Leashes casing. These detailed analyses and design updates are down to fractions of a millimeter 🔍. Getting this part right ensures the strength, quality and professional appearance of the leash. The casing can’t be too thick or too thin. 90 degree surfaces have to have a taper (what’s called draft angle), so that the 2 pieces of the molding tool separate smoothly without scraping and damaging the parts being molded. The molten plastic needs to be able to evenly flow into the tool, and many many more details. We have made great progress with the support and guidance of our injection molding supplier and are just in the final stages of completing this work. PHEW!

Purchased Item Procurement

Spring that Retracts the Leash

Procurement of the raw materials and purchased components needed is also well under way. With key components like the brake drums and clock springs, the spring that retracts the leash into the casing, arriving just this week.

Fabrication Equipment

We not only ordered but have received all the equipment needed to fabricate the parts that we are making in house. Including an arbor press, yes, that’s what came in the crate 📦 👍. This very heavy blue monster allows us to bend the steel pieces into the right shapes. We also received a great little band saw, which is perfect for cutting the metal components in the Alpha leash to the right size.

what’s next…

In our next update we will have more details on our injection mold tools, some great videos of our fabrication equipment in action and the preliminary plans for our assembly line.

Stay tuned! And happy walking out there!