Progress Update Discussion Nov 29/2018

I’m no shipping expert but that doesn’t make any sense for small batch shipments like these if Pimax is shipping according to backer number - the next 200 units aren’t all going to ship on a pallet to the same locale, they should be spread all over the world and consequently would be getting shipped individually for the most part.

1 Like

They could be shipping to places like the Philippines to get around import/tariffs and then distribute to the rest of the world.

2 Likes

Matthew.xu - thank you for the update.

2 Likes

Although my last professional exposure to logistics, distribution and shipping was around the 2005 era, when software was still a boxed product, the way the global software distribution company I used worked, was to take standard palettes of product into highly automated warehouse facilities. Robot pickers would then pull product from those palettes and assemble them into boxes destined for retail outlets like Walmart stores or Amazon etc.
So its not so much the outbound side of the logistics/distribution centre, but the ingest side that needs the standard load size, although standard packaging sizes helps the outbound side as well.
Incidentally automation didn’t always go well - we had an occasion where a picking machine destroyed a palette of product (several hundred copies) and that resulted in having to completely reproduce that palette and Amazon running out of the product in the meantime i.e. lost revenue.

2 Likes

I’ll need to take a better look as I am often focused inside the headset. I can’t even watch the chevron. :disappointed_relieved: :joy:

1 Like

Continuing the discussion from Production Progress Update 1106:

Next week, so let’s say that makes it monday the 12th of November.

That leaves 19 days in November at 50 units a day.

So, just to clarify here, you should produce approximately 850 headsets with the remainder of November, alone?

(Possibly more, by what you’re saying, but at least those numbers I quoted, I also took two Sundays(100units) out of the figure)

2 Likes

That still seems highly optimistic, but it’s possible, depending on how quickly they can ramp up to full production (100 units per day). They did say they have 1000 part sets at the factory, excluding the housings.

1 Like

Yes, we will have 50 sets in the warehouse now. We are discussing with the logistics partner whether we can deliver the goods according to this quantity. No reply has been received. We are also waiting for their reply. thank you

7 Likes

B-cover and a C-cover is the name of material.
They are the housing on the front and back of the headset.

14 Likes

Thanks for the detailed update! It is highly appreciated. Please keep it up.

3 Likes

at that rate it should be at least 3000 unites by end of december.

So…

It seems that having 50 units already mounted.

(25 of 5k+ / 25 of 8k) or (50 5k+ and 50 8k)?

The logistic company doesn’t do in shipping because it wants to reach 200 units?

If once assembled each group of these units will be distributed to different countries, I did not think that I can lower shipping costs with those few units.

1 Like

Sorry, I am not sure about the specific number of 5K and 8K…
I will update the production daily repot today. Thank you

6 Likes

just something quick, any updates on controllers and base stations, when are backers supposed to get them? since im backer 6000+ will it come with the headset or separately. (pimax 5k deluxe backer) along with this any information about the stretch goal rewards? (first time buying a vr headset, i know this’ll be worth the wait.) thank you for being the beacon to what this community needs!

2 Likes

In the faq it says 2019 Q2

3 Likes

I know the progress of controllers, base stations, other accessories and even 8KX, and backers want to know. I will also do my work plan to meet your requirements.
Recently, all my energy will be put on production and delivery. And I will try my best to update the important progress for you.
But the most important thing now is the production and delivery of headset.
Please understand.
Thank you very much.

24 Likes

Thanks in advance… and you are absolutly right. The delivery ist the most important thing!
I’m burning to finally get my Pimax :wink:

4 Likes

Production and delivery is Definitely more important than working on organizing and staffing Backer Meetups. The device is finished, send it out.

4 Likes

@Matthew.Xu
Can you inform us today which day you are going to send the next batch?

And how many units of each model will be and up to what number of sponsor those shipments arrive?

Thank you

2 Likes

Hi neal_white_iii

I’m not sure I follow what is “highly optimistic”?

Taken at face value, the logistics company wants or needs batches of 200 boxes at a time (I gave one reason based on experience why this might be). Regardless, Pimax have a choke point in the chain/processes between the factory/assembly line and their customers, as they need to assemble and box 200 units, before they can send them out the door. Simple arithmetic will therefore dictate the frequency of batches shipped. For example 50 units a day = 4 days between batches.

I expect the headsets that have already been delivered were “hand dispatched” using “consumer” shipping methods. Volume production and logistics doesn’t work like that and once the products leave Pimax’s premises, its largely out of their hands and under the control of their shipping partner.

I would not be surprised to learn that Pimax are experiencing some growth and ramp up pains, probably tied to how much they risk in terms of signing deals with partners to get the best prices, which will either mean committing to high volumes of parts or long periods of time in their contracts. ~6000 units sounds like a lot, but its not really (the boxed software industry used to work on production batches of 40,000) and there is high risk in projecting future volumes before you go full retail and those projections will dictate the contracts you enter into - too much and you have wasted unsold product/stock, too little and your market or supply chain starves because you can’t deliver…also consider that the margins on hardware are razor thin, so getting it wrong can be financially ruinous. The 200 unit batch size will just be one of the contracts involved.

The point of course is that most consumers only ever see the delivery driver, when there can be hundreds, if not thousands of steps in processes that have to execute, before they get their goods. I doubt many on the forum care beyond their own delivery, but Googling either Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma can be revealing (the latter isn’t a star system name :wink: ).

5 Likes