Mudita Pure: Important update about the production calendar

In the last update, we informed you about the current progress and our predictions regarding the shipping dates of Mudita Pure. Most of the crucial elements and processes were going according to schedule, which made us feel confident about the shipping date. 

Unfortunately the production process sometimes brings unpleasant surprises which are outside of our control. Last week, we came across an issue which has forced us to revise our production calendar. The latest tests with the molding form for the body part revealed a serious problem, which we need to fix before starting the mass production. 

The problem 

We continue to work on the most complex part of Mudita Pure casing - the body. At the factory, which is building this molding form, we’ve run the trials of injecting the rubber part, which seals up the front housing and rear cover. We found a critical technical problem here: the material doesn’t flow as planned. There is an overflow which causes the material to go beyond the designed shape and does not fill the whole surface as planned - thus it doesn’t work as a seal. Additionally, the heated material melts the hard component next to it. 

It seemed like a minor problem at first. However, after discussing it with our partners and experts, this turns out to be much more serious and there’s no easy solution to fix this quickly. Correcting this molding form requires additional work, and unfortunately, time.

The material overflow

The material overflow

Overflow - view from the outside

The solution

Together with our partner, responsible for constructing this injection molding form, we’ve come up with the solution and prepared the plan for correcting this flaw. We created the models showing how the form will change, in order to assure the correct flow of the material.

The whole rubber element needs to be thicker, the radiuses in corners are smoother, additional rubber channels were added to reduce pressure during the injection process. This will cause a temperature drop of injected rubber and eliminate plastic melt.

Rubber after 5 iterations of moldflow simulations

Illustrations above show the changes of the casing part.  Now, the manufacturer of the molding form will need to redesign the injection molding form and repeat the process in order to fix the problem. The most complex procedure, with 7 additional trials, means we will see the end result in April. However, we hope to solve this problem faster.

What are the steps:

• Tool modification in CAD - 3 weeks. Completion: end of October (week 44, 2020)

• Tool welding, electrode construction, CNC milling of mold components and electroforming of mold inserts, tool assembly (all in parallel - 6.5 weeks).  Completion: late December (week 51, 2020) 

• Trials of injection molding and tool optimization (7 iterations) - 13 weeks. Completion: beginning of April (week 13, 2021)

Production calendar

Moldflow simulation iterations - 1st iteration of rubber modifications

5th iteration of rubber modifications = flow 100%

In hardware production, you can always spend more time to improve certain elements. In our case, we would like to use this time to put some additional effort into making things we’ve already accepted even better and run more experiments. 

How we want to use that time:

• Additional updates of the keyboard before mass production

• Improvement of symbols cutout and alignment

• Improvement of keyboard positioning to housing

• Improvement of symbols glow

• Removal of minor light leakage from functional buttons to number buttons

• More durability tests

• Screen frontlight

• Improvement of screen front light illumination homogeneity

• Screen assembly to housing

• Reduction of screen offset to front housing

• Improvement of housing aesthetics

• IMD foil cutout improvement

• Injection molding defects elimination

• More tests in software

Mudita Pure: The development status

The development status

Let’s move to the other aspects of Mudita Pure production progress overview, as there are many processes happening at the same time. In the previous update, we presented the charts for each production segment to you and we’d like to continue this method since many of you seemed to like it.

Injection molding forms

We’ve received new keyboards after the last round of feedback. What has changed?

• Better quality of engraving of the symbols

• Slight changes in the design of the symbols

• Better contrast on the gray keyboard

• The symbols are thinner. We’re happy with the result on the black one, while we still would like to improve the gray keyboard

Keyboards

We’re also testing different ideas for achieving a more quiet sound when pressing the main navigation button  and we already have the first good results. 

Graining, the process of giving the right feel and structure to each casing element is moving  forward.This week we’re finalizing the torch button. 

The development status

Assembly & production

Our engineers are preparing a number of tools needed for the mass production. Every little step needs to be carefully planned and a set of tools have to be built and thoroughly tested. 

We’re finishing building dedicated jigs for attaching the display to the front casing, attaching the loudspeaker or positioning the slider. 

Examples of tools

We’re working on the software for our most important tester - the Main Board Tester. During the last two weeks, we implemented the audio elements and GSM module tests. The procedure of testing the main board of Mudita Pure on the production line contains around 150 steps, such as checking the frontlight or torch diode, audio jack, speakers, microphone or USB-C port.

Main Board tester

We’ve done most of the work on the Pure programming station which will be installing the operating system on each Mudita Pure phone. Apart from that, it will install the bootloader, assets and information about each phone, such as the color and serial number.

As for the trials & optimisation, we will see the progress after the trial assembly of the first 60 pieces of Mudita Pure, which will take place next week.

Mudita Pure - components

We would like to inform you that our logistics department is working constantly to secure all elements necessary to produce Pure. We already have all the necessary electronic components for the production of 5000+ phones. More specifically we are stocked with E-ink displays, which are waiting for the frontlight panels to be ready when production starts (they are connected together in the factory).

Two weeks ago, we also received the first test batch (1000 units) of customized batteries, which passed our very detailed tests and are ready to be used in the production process. We are ordering the next batch of 5000+ batteries. In total, we have amassed over 1.6 million components in stock. There’s no going back! :)

Mudita Pure - components

Software development

What has been successfully implemented or improved in MuditaOS since the last update:  

• Headphones autodetection

• Basic Calculator application

• Added screen notifications for calendar events

• Added network time synchronization

• Added "How to unlock" screens

• Added basics for meditation app

• Messages: support for multiple numbers for the same contact

• Added vibration logic

• Added USSD codes handling

• Add SIM and PUK lock-related screens

• Added DTMF tone generation

• Improved support for Bluetooth scanning and pairing

• Added emoji & special character selector

• Save a new message as a draft message, if not sent

• Jumping to contacts by using the first letter

Here are some of the features we are currently working on:

• MTP & CDC support (needed to transfer files and to connect with Mudita Center)

• Improved power management

• Physical slider and changing modes

• Finalize VoLTE support

• Alarm clock app

• Operating System update

… and many more!

We are also working more on testing, our team increased the number of test cases to 283.

Example of the emoji selector screen

Tomorrow, on the 21st of October we’ll share some great news with you regarding MuditaOS, which many of us have been waiting for. Stay tuned!

Electronics - PCB modules

We have the PCB modules for the first 60 samples of Mudita Pure which will be assembled next week and used for the testing purposes. The modules for the mass production are now under construction and will arrive at our factory in Poland in early November. 

Certification

Certification is going according to the plan. So far, following tests have been completed:

• Radiated emission testing on GSM, UMTS and LTE bands

• EMC tests (without ESD tests, which are ongoing)

• SAR testing (we’re waiting for the final reports to be published by the laboratory)

• Battery safety testing

• Battery transportation testing

Also, Mudita Pure has been recently certified  by Bluetooth SIG. The Organization, which oversees Bluetooth devices and attests that they are properly and legally using this technology.

Thank you for being a part of this journey. For sharing our excitement and celebrating big steps, and for your support when challenges appear. We believe that together, we’re building strong foundations of a great company which is here to stay. You’re the ones who believed in Mudita from the very beginning and we’ll always remember to appreciate it.

Thank you!

We’ll keep informing you about all the details of the progress of Mudita Pure and our other projects.

See you soon!

Mudita Team