Hello,
Fourth part of my feedback and suggestion : About 3D Printing.
You wrote :
Constant improvement of the keypad design : Since I've been following you, for over a year and a half, whether it's for the Cyborg, Compact, or Cyro, I haven't seen the design evolve at all. But I may have missed minor changes. And for me, adding the 5-way switch and Elite V2 joystick isn't an evolution of the design, it's an option.
Adapting for left-handed and disabled individuals : it's important, but that doesn't justify the entire production being in 3D printing. It's completely possible to combine plastic injection AND 3D printing.
So no, I'm not convinced by your arguments.
3D printing is excellent for structural parts, prototyping, testing concepts, and even mechanical functions.
But for parts with a mechanical function (keys, ball joint holders, and ball joints), it won't be a durable and reliable solution :
The parts are porous => So soft with low crush resistance => Rapid plastic deformation (it has room to do it) and wear.
Low external contact surface => Poor friction => We cheat by creating an artificial roughness with surface ripples on the ball joint supports and ball joints to try to compensate a little => the customer ends up gluing these two parts despite everything.
Meanwhile, plastic injection is ideal for this since the plastic is dense, the parts precise, mass production, and relatively low cost (just the initial investment which is significant, but it's a calculation to determine from what number of parts it will be profitable).
That being said, I don't think it's too expensive to invest in making your Keypads more reliable. It's not normal for people to be forced to glue their ball joints because they no longer perform their function over time. And for me the root of the problem is 3D printing.
However i think that ball joints part and ball joint holders mold would probably be tricky to do, especialy if you want to make them as they are in 3D printed.
But for the ball joint holder, you can cheat a little :
Instead of making one piece (goo Luffyyyyyy haha), you do 2, you split the ball joint holder in 2 in the lenght way. Like this you can have 2 mold which only need 2 part each. You add dowels and holes to join the 2 parts together with loose fit.
And you can even hide completely the 3 nuts ! By making the 2 half nut hole centered.
And finaly for the ball joint you can also cheat :
Why not continue 3D printing for the structural piece (the base of each finger tower) but without the ball joint and instead, dowels (2 or 3) and a hole in the center for a bearing screw. And only the ball joint will be injected plastic, with 2 or 3 holes corresponding with the dowels of the structural piece and a hole in the center for screwing it.
Other negative point : It add few steps to the existing step list to assemble a keypad. Which cost in time maybe 1 or 2 minutes ?
If you ever switch to injection, I would be a customer for a replacement kit for parts with mechanical function.
I don't have the perspective that you may have through your customer service. So maybe i'm wrong !
Here is my fourth thread, next ones will follow !
Have a nice day !
Aeenarion.
Fourth part of my feedback and suggestion : About 3D Printing.
You wrote :
Constant improvement of the keypad design : Since I've been following you, for over a year and a half, whether it's for the Cyborg, Compact, or Cyro, I haven't seen the design evolve at all. But I may have missed minor changes. And for me, adding the 5-way switch and Elite V2 joystick isn't an evolution of the design, it's an option.
Adapting for left-handed and disabled individuals : it's important, but that doesn't justify the entire production being in 3D printing. It's completely possible to combine plastic injection AND 3D printing.
So no, I'm not convinced by your arguments.
3D printing is excellent for structural parts, prototyping, testing concepts, and even mechanical functions.
But for parts with a mechanical function (keys, ball joint holders, and ball joints), it won't be a durable and reliable solution :
The parts are porous => So soft with low crush resistance => Rapid plastic deformation (it has room to do it) and wear.
Low external contact surface => Poor friction => We cheat by creating an artificial roughness with surface ripples on the ball joint supports and ball joints to try to compensate a little => the customer ends up gluing these two parts despite everything.
Meanwhile, plastic injection is ideal for this since the plastic is dense, the parts precise, mass production, and relatively low cost (just the initial investment which is significant, but it's a calculation to determine from what number of parts it will be profitable).
That being said, I don't think it's too expensive to invest in making your Keypads more reliable. It's not normal for people to be forced to glue their ball joints because they no longer perform their function over time. And for me the root of the problem is 3D printing.
However i think that ball joints part and ball joint holders mold would probably be tricky to do, especialy if you want to make them as they are in 3D printed.
But for the ball joint holder, you can cheat a little :
Instead of making one piece (goo Luffyyyyyy haha), you do 2, you split the ball joint holder in 2 in the lenght way. Like this you can have 2 mold which only need 2 part each. You add dowels and holes to join the 2 parts together with loose fit.
And you can even hide completely the 3 nuts ! By making the 2 half nut hole centered.
And finaly for the ball joint you can also cheat :
Why not continue 3D printing for the structural piece (the base of each finger tower) but without the ball joint and instead, dowels (2 or 3) and a hole in the center for a bearing screw. And only the ball joint will be injected plastic, with 2 or 3 holes corresponding with the dowels of the structural piece and a hole in the center for screwing it.
Other negative point : It add few steps to the existing step list to assemble a keypad. Which cost in time maybe 1 or 2 minutes ?
If you ever switch to injection, I would be a customer for a replacement kit for parts with mechanical function.
I don't have the perspective that you may have through your customer service. So maybe i'm wrong !
Here is my fourth thread, next ones will follow !
Have a nice day !
Aeenarion.
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