BullseyeBore Core: Drill Straight Holes Every Time

Late October Update: Wrapping Up the Pilot Run and Transitioning Into Mass Production
3 months ago – Thu, Oct 31, 2024 at 12:11:20 PM

Hello Backers,

We’ve continued to make great progress since our last backer update on October 2nd! We will be wrapping up the Pilot run QA assessments and preparing these initial units to ship in the next few weeks, and then will be transitioning into our Mass Production Run.

Completed BullseyeBore Core Units from Pilot Run

We’ve outlined the progress and plans as well as a tentative delivery schedule for both the Pilot and Mass Runs in the sections below.

In addition, we know that many of our backers share an interest in our manufacturing processes, so we’ve included a section that highlights some of the specialized tooling and robotics that we have developed specifically for manufacturing of BullseyeBore Core and its accessories. 

Pilot Run Progress

We are happy to share that the manufacturing and assembly portion of the Pilot Run is currently wrapping up, and our independent Quality Assurance team will be onsite at the factory this week and working through their assessment process of the 300 unit Pilot Run.  Thus far we are very pleased with the manufacturing quality and finished products.

Final Assembly of Pilot Run Units

As we’ve shared in previous updates, the 300 unit Pilot Run includes more inspections and QA tests versus the Mass Production Run, which is why the Pilot Run has taken longer than the Mass Production Run on a per-unit basis. We are also carefully assessing the Pilot Run manufacturing processes and operations for areas where we can improve.

If there are no outstanding issues uncovered during the Pilot Run Quality Assurance assessments, those 300 units will be shipped to backers with a bonus “VIP Early Bird Fast Shipping” reward during the week of November 11th. There are 148 backers that will receive their orders from this shipment, and the Pilot Run backer list is finalized.

You’ll receive an email with tracking details once your order has shipped.

Transition to Mass Production and Shipping

We’ll be working on transitioning into our Mass Production Run and begin shipping the first units in November, which will include implementing any recommendations to our manufacturing and assembly process from our assembly engineer.

Tentative Delivery Schedule

As we shared in our last backer update in early October, we were able to resolve the issues surrounding the Acrylic Window bonding technique (the main cause of production and shipping delays). As we have made more progress in manufacturing, we are able to provide a tentative* delivery schedule to give backers a better idea of when they can expect their orders.

As manufacturing progresses, orders will be shipped in three phases:

Phase 1: Pilot Run Shipments

Assuming no outstanding issues uncovered during the 300 unit Pilot Manufacturing Run QA assessments, the first 300 units are scheduled to ship during the week of November 11th. These orders will ship to our first Kickstarter backers who received a bonus VIP Early Bird Fast Shipping reward.

We have finalized this list for our fulfillment team and cannot guarantee that address updates can be made at this point in the process. If you have a Fast Shipping reward and need to update your address, please email [email protected] with your name and new address as soon as possible so we can contact our shipping partner with your changes.

Phase 2: VIP Club Shipments

After completion of the Pilot Manufacturing Run, we will transition directly into Mass Production along with any suggested improvements from our assembly engineer.

The first round of Mass Production units will be shipped to VIP backers that made a $5 reservation prior to the campaign.

If you placed a $5 VIP reservation before our Kickstarter campaign started and then completed your order on Kickstarter (or contacted us to place your VIP Club order through Indiegogo), you are on this list!

Those pledges will be shipped out in the order that the VIP reservations were received, most likely in batches. There are a total of 648 VIP backers that have completed their Backerkit surveys on this list, and orders will ship in the order they were received (likely in batches).

We currently estimate* that these shipments will occur between the dates of 12/15/24 and 01/15/25, and we will provide updates and more specific dates as Mass Production progresses.

The primary reason for these target shipment dates is because it takes 30 days to obtain and/or manufacture all the sub-components and a couple weeks to assemble the units. We will also want to integrate some of the recommendations from our assembly engineer based on the Pilot Manufacturing Run.

Phase 3: All Remaining Backer Shipments

After all VIP Club backer orders have shipped, all remaining orders will be shipped in the order the pledges were received, most likely in batches.  We currently estimate* that these shipments will occur between the dates of 01/15/25 and 02/28/25, and we will provide updates and more specific dates as Mass Production progresses. Please also note that there may be some additional delays during this phase due to Chinese New Year 2025 (01/28/25-02/03/25) as factories due shut down for some period. We will continue to monitor the potential impact of this holiday on deliveries. 

As a reminder, all backers will receive an email with tracking details once their order has shipped.

*Please note that with the exception of the Pilot Run, the dates listed are only estimates. Once we complete the Pilot Run and move into Mass Production, we will be able to provide more updates and specific dates as Mass Production progresses.

Behind the Scenes of BullseyeBore Manufacturing and Testing

Take a look behind the scenes of our Pilot Run to see some of the specialized tooling, robotics, and testing that we specifically developed for the manufacturing of BullseyeBore Core and its accessories.

Lower Body Manufacturing

The Lower Body of BullseyeBore Core is the heart of the product, containing the PCBs, magnet, optics, and laser module.

An epoxy adhesive is one of the two materials we use to permanently attach the PCBs to the injection molded Lower Body part. Here is an example of the robotic process used to apply the epoxy adhesive:

Lower Body Robotic Adhesive Application Process

Pressure and alignment jigs are then used to hold the PCBs in place while the adhesive cures.

After curing, the assembled Lower Bodies are then bagged while they await optics installation and calibration.

Chuck Extension Manufacturing

Manufacturing of the BullseyeBore Chuck Extensions is progressing well!

Much like all other BullseyeBore Core manufacturing, Chuck Extension manufacturing also employs robotics, such as adhesive application.

Chuck Extension Robotic Adhesive Application Process

Here’s a look at the Chuck Extensions during the later stages of assembly. You can see hundreds on this worksurface!

BullseyeBore Chuck Extensions are an optional accessory that are typically utilized to move BullseyeBore Core’s projected Reference and Alignment Patterns closer together on the worksurface at the start of drilling, which can make drill alignment or misalignment easier to visualize. They can also be used to reduce the overall diameter of the Alignment Pattern (or Patterns) if they do not fit on the worksurface. You can read more about BullseyeBore Chuck Extensions here or watch this video.

Acrylic Window Bonding and Testing Update

As noted in our last backer update, we were able to resolve the longstanding Acrylic Window bonding issue. As part of this process, we also built a custom Window Force Gauge Testing Rig that could be used to directly test the strength of the bond between the Acrylic Window and the Polycarbonate Housing. This rig allowed us to test a multitude of adhesives and Acrylic Window bonding techniques during our R&D. It also allowed us to pull random samples during manufacturing to verify adequate adhesion of the Acrylic Window in the Polycarbonate Housing.

Our goal during our adhesive and bonding technique R&D was to establish a minimum resistance of 15 kg (33 lbs.) of direct force on the tiny Acrylic Window before it detaches from the Polycarbonate Housing. This is a significant amount of force when applied to a tiny Acrylic Window which is roughly 22 mm x 5.5 mm x 1 mm thick.

In the video below you can see two samples failing at 16.4 kg and 19.1 kg respectively (beyond the minimum resistance goal of 15 kg). This is a lot of pressure and should be on the extreme end of the amount of force experienced by the unit while in the field.

BullseyeBore Core Optical Window Force Gauge Testing

Next Steps

As we finish the Pilot Run, our assembly engineer will provide us with a list of suggested improvements for our Mass Production run based on the knowledge gained during the 300 unit run. We anticipate that these suggestions will include some minor modifications to the assembly processes and/or minor assembly tooling changes. We will look into implementing these suggestions over the next several weeks as we transition from our 300 unit Pilot Run into Mass Production in order to make improvements in quality and efficiency, as well as decreasing waste.

As we outlined above, if the remaining portion of the Pilot Run goes well** and we are able to transition immediately into the Mass Production Run, our goal is to ship the Pilot Run units during the week of November 11th and ship the remaining units between 12/15/24 and 02/28/25.

As a reminder, your Backerkit surveys must be completed ASAP in order to receive your order.

If you cannot find your survey invite, you can request a new survey invitation by entering your Kickstarter email address at https://bullseyebore.backerkit.com/

If you need to update your shipping address, please send an email with your name and new address to [email protected].

Thank you again for your patience and support! We will continue to do all we can to ensure that BullseyeBore Core is worth the wait.

-John and the Team at BullseyeBore

** BullseyeBore Core is the first commercial product to be manufactured and distributed by BullseyeBore Inc. As with any new product, there is the potential for challenges and unforeseen delays. We have done all we can to prepare for and get ahead of potential manufacturing issues, but it is still possible that we will encounter obstacles during our Pilot Manufacturing Run or beyond. We hope to quickly overcome any issues that arise without causing further delays, but it is possible that some revisions may require more time. We are also watching for potential US shipping port issues that could impact shipping timeframes. We will continue to keep backers up to date if there are any delays that will impact our shipping timeline.

October Update: Pilot Manufacturing Run Back in Progress
4 months ago – Tue, Oct 01, 2024 at 03:53:00 PM

Hello Backers,

We have made great progress since our last backer update from September 5th!

We received and approved the first Pilot Manufacturing Run samples just this past week, and you can view unboxing videos and images of the completed BullseyeBore Core units and accessories as well as the final packaging below.

As we shared in our September update, we encountered two challenging Pilot Manufacturing Run obstacles during our tooling and manufacturing process configuration that prevented us from being able to move forward with our full Pilot Run assembly process.

The good news is that we now have solutions in place for both of these manufacturing obstacles and we are able to move forward with the full 300 unit Pilot Manufacturing Run, which will commence next week and is expected to take 4-6 weeks to complete.

In particular, the Acrylic Window bonding technique took much longer to resolve than we could have anticipated. In fact, this seemingly simple issue has been one of our biggest challenges in both product development and manufacturing configuration and has been the main reason for production and shipping delays. We’ve provided more background information on this issue and how we were able to solve it below.

We want to apologize to our backers for how long it’s taken to get us to this point. 

There are thousands of small details that go into the design and manufacturing of each BullseyeBore Core unit, and it has been a painstakingly challenging process to develop these for mass production and to get them consistently correct. While we’ve taken many steps to reduce potential problems related to our design and manufacturing, we’ve encountered several that have taken longer to resolve than we wanted or expected. 

We apologize for the delays and thank you all for your continued patience and support! We will continue to do all we can to ensure that BullseyeBore Core is worth the wait and are eager to ship orders ASAP.

First Fully Manufactured Pilot Run Samples Received and Approved

Last week we received the first Pilot Run Manufacturing samples! We assessed these samples using an established QA process which is also used in the factory. This is a rigorous 24 step QA process that assesses assembly, functionality, actual usage, examination of internal components after usage, and cosmetic details.

BullseyeBore Core Unboxing

Each BullseyeBore Core unit will ship in its model-specific packaging, which will be enclosed in a larger shipping box along with any of the optional accessories that backers ordered. The BullseyeBore Core unit box is sealed on both ends with stickers, and the unit itself is enclosed in a protective hard shell EVA case along with batteries (users must install batteries prior to use). Each unit comes with a Quick Start Guide which is also available on our website.

Check out the live first unboxing of the package contents as they will ship to customers
(Please note that the unit in the video has a white numbered sticker on it for internal tracking purposes only and will not be on production units.)

                                                                    (CR1-100 Unit Unboxing)
 

Accessory Unboxings

The optional BullseyeBore Core accessories will ship in a larger shipping box along with one or more of the BullseyeBore Core units that were ordered. The accessory packaging is simple and designed for shipping purposes only, but each of the accessories will also include a unique barcode. Take a look at the accessory unboxings and unbaggings:

                 (Chuck Extensions, Worksurface Extension Plate, and Chuck Alignment Guides Unboxings)

The Challenges and Resolution to the Acrylic Window Bonding Issues

As mentioned above and in several of our previous backer updates, the Acrylic Window bonding technique has posed several challenging design and manufacturing obstacles which ultimately resulted in delays to our original timeline. We’d like to offer more details surrounding this issue so backers can better understand why this was critical to resolve before moving forward with the Pilot and Mass Production Runs.

The window mounted in the Polycarbonate Housing provides both a clear path for the BullseyeBore Core laser projections as well as protection of the underlying optics and laser module. As BullseyeBore Core may be subject to significant rotational impacts on the end of the drill, as well as drop impacts, it is critical for the window to be both clear and durable. Just imagine the shock on BullseyeBore Core if it suddenly impacts a wooden stud as it rotates at 2500 rpm on the end of a drill, or if it’s dropped directly onto concrete.

In our original design for BullseyeBore Core, the window used tempered glass that was epoxied into the Polycarbonate Housing. This worked very well during our design and early prototyping phase, but upon further testing it became clear that our tempered glass type selection could crack under extreme impacts. We encountered this issue a couple times during our rotational and drop impact testing, which is quite extreme to reflect real life scenarios.

                                          (Early BullseyeBore Core Rotational and Drop Impact Testing)

The rotational impact tests shown above were done at 2500 rpm against materials that would typically be encountered (hit!) during construction or DIY projects, such as steel conduits, 2x4 studs, as well as smaller aluminum and wooden materials. Moreover, we performed drop testing from 6ft onto concrete. We showed a small portion of this testing in our July backer update, but you can see in the video above that our testing is even more extensive.

We first discovered that our tempered glass type selection could crack under extreme circumstances in April 2024 during these rotational and drop impact tests. We also found that our epoxy application method was not as strong when applied to the injection molded Polycarbonate Housing versus our earlier prototypes which were 3D printed plastic.

It was at this time that we made the difficult decision to modify our design and transition to an Acrylic Window that would be heat staked into the Polycarbonate Housing. The Acrylic Window met the needs for clarity and durability, and we selected heat staking because our engineering team thought it would provide the strongest and most consistent bonding technique. Concurrent to this, we also built a custom Window Force Gauge Testing Rig that could be used to directly test the strength of the bond between the Acrylic Window and the Polycarbonate Housing.

You can see the Window Force Gauge Testing Rig in action against some of the different adhesives and bonding systems we tried and implemented in the video below. The Force Gauge captures the force applied directly to the window in kilograms, and the final value is the “peak force” at the point of failure (we always test the window bond to failure). This testing rig gave us the ability to quantitatively assess the heat staked bonding strength and experiment with other Acrylic Window bonding techniques. 

                                                         (Optical Window Force Gauge Testing)

Over the course of several months, we tested and implemented two separate heat staking bonding methods, and more than 10 different types of adhesives. You can see a small portion of those tests in the above video. You’ll see that the bonding strength (and thus failure point) gets incrementally higher each time. 

We eventually settled on a very strong form of UV glue combined with a two-step application process and Housing design changes, as the UV glue was surprisingly stronger than the heat staked bonding method.

Unfortunately, as we moved toward our anticipated Pilot Manufacturing Run last month, we found that the two-step application process could not be consistently replicated in the factory setting, in part because some of the process was manual and prone to human error. Moreover, we found that excess UV glue sometimes bled onto the visible portion of the Acrylic Window. 

Since this issue would impact the quality and durability of the BullseyeBore Core units, we needed to find a solution before moving forward with final assembly for the Pilot Run.

To address this issue, our manufacturing team introduced a robotic UV glue application system. We have spent the last several weeks modifying this robotic application process (flow rate, directed path, iterations, etc.) to avoid contamination of the visible portion of the window, and then testing the bonding strength with our Window Force Gauge Testing Rig.

                    (One of several steps in the robotic UV glue application process for the Acrylic Window)

At this point in time, we are confident that we will be able to configure the robotic UV glue application process to provide the optimal amount of bonding strength, allowing us to move forward with the Pilot Manufacturing Run. 

It is worth noting that during the multi-month process outlined above, we modified our Housing mold several times and revised the shape of the Acrylic Window three times. Each of these individual modifications took anywhere from 14 to 30 days. These were unfortunately time-consuming tasks and contributed to the delays from our original timeline.

Next Steps

All factories in China (including ours) are closed during the Chinese National Holiday from Oct 1 to Oct 7, but our team has been given the go ahead for the Pilot Manufacturing Run and we are preparing for it now. Moreover, during this week we anticipate receiving a shipment of the completed Housings that use the most recent robotic UV glue application process.

The full 300 unit Pilot Manufacturing Run* will commence after the Chinese National Holiday and is expected to take 4-6 weeks. The Pilot Run will include more inspections and QA tests versus the Mass Production Run, which is why the Pilot Run will take longer than the Mass Run on a per-unit basis.

If the Pilot Manufacturing Run goes well, we will transition immediately into the Mass Production Run, with the goal of shipping the remaining units over the following 4-10 weeks. 

We will be back to share more updates on our Pilot Run and transition to Mass Production in the coming weeks!

Please note again that ALL backers will be notified by email when their order has shipped.

As a reminder, your Backerkit surveys must be completed ASAP in order to receive your order.

If you cannot find your survey invite, you can request a new survey invitation by entering your Kickstarter email address at https://bullseyebore.backerkit.com/

If you need to update your shipping address, please send an email with your name and new address to [email protected].

Thank you again for your patience and support! We will continue to do all we can to ensure that BullseyeBore Core is worth the wait.

-John and the Team at BullseyeBore

* BullseyeBore Core is the first commercial product to be manufactured and distributed by BullseyeBore Inc. As with any new product, there is the potential for challenges and unforeseen delays. We have done all we can to prepare for and get ahead of potential manufacturing issues, but it is still possible that we will encounter obstacles during our Pilot Manufacturing Run or beyond. We hope to quickly overcome any issues that arise without causing further delays, but it is possible that some revisions may require more time. We are also watching for potential US shipping port issues that could impact shipping timeframes. We will continue to keep backers up to date if there are any delays that will impact our shipping timeline.
 

September Update: Pilot Manufacturing Progress
5 months ago – Thu, Sep 05, 2024 at 01:50:50 PM

All sub-components for the first 800 units are complete, and we have successfully built and tested 800 laser and PCB assemblies. We have moved into a test assembly process and are working through a couple minor manufacturing issues (see more on this below). After resolving these manufacturing issues, we will move forward into our Pilot manufacturing run.* 

We will ship all 800 units upon completion of the Pilot run. The first 300 units will go to Kickstarter backers with a bonus early bird shipping reward, and the remaining units will go to VIP reservation backers on a first ordered, first served basis. If all goes well during the Pilot run, we will transition immediately into mass production and manufacture the remaining units.  

All backers will be notified by email when their order has shipped.

Pilot Manufacturing Progress and QA Testing

Our manufacturing team has completed 800 laser and PCB (Printed Circuit Board) assemblies (400 green and 400 red) in the last two weeks —a meticulous process that involves both automated and manual assembly, followed by rigorous Quality Assurance (QA) testing.

As the heart of BullseyeBore Core, we have set very high accuracy, power usage, and consistency standards for our PCBs and lasers. In fact, part of our QA process consists of 15 sets of test procedures for the laser and PCB assemblies performed by our manufacturing team and by an independent QA testing team. 

Since BullseyeBore Core has unique optical requirements that cannot be found in commercial off the shelf (COTS) laser modules, we needed to design our own custom laser and driver circuits and build the laser modules ourselves as part of our manufacturing process.

Many of these laser and PCB assembly QA tests are proprietary, based on new criteria that we developed throughout the years of BullseyeBore Core development. We’ve shared just a couple examples of these tests below, so you can get a better idea of the hard work that goes into manufacturing and testing the components that make up BullseyeBore Core. While manufacturing and testing takes time, it ensures that customers receive a high quality product and that users have a great experience using BullseyeBore Core.

Power Usage QA Testing

All lasers are power hungry (especially our green model lasers), so our engineering team has gone to great lengths to maximize battery life. BullseyeBore Core is powered by two tiny 357 or LR44 coin cell batteries, which are limited in how much power they can offer. Because of this, one of the primary QA steps is sampling and testing the power usage of the laser and PCB assemblies. For this test, each PCB is temporarily hard wired to a power supply. The voltage on the power supply is slowly lowered on each PCB to test the value at which the laser output terminates. We have specific voltage and current “cut-out” targets that must be met across all units.

Laser Module Beam Point Size QA Testing

Most lasers are designed to focus at longer distances, such as 10 meters. This makes the custom lasers in BullseyeBore Core unique, as they are designed to operate at shorter distances using a custom lens and focal criteria. Therefore, another crucial QA step is testing the lasers for beam point size at a fixed distance. This test is done on a jig with an optical testing system.

Laser Module Alignment QA Testing

One of the most critical steps in the assembly process is the correct alignment of laser diode and module housing. Through extensive testing, we developed a laser module manufacturing process that achieves excellent and consistent alignment of the laser diode and module housing that results in sub-one degree accuracy in the finished product. The manufacturing and alignment testing process are accomplished across several sets of proprietary testing and calibration hardware.

Additional Manufacturing Progress

In addition to our BullseyeBore Core units, we’ve made more progress on accessories and packaging.

Worksurface Alignment Plates

Our Worksurface Alignment Plate accessories are cut and finished by a CNC machine. Below you can see an example of the CNC machine sanding the edges and drilling the holes in the plate. You can also see the completed plates as they are extracted from the CNC machine and cleaned prior to anodization in the video.

See a demonstration of the Worksurface Extension Plate accessory in the video below.

Completed Packaging and Quick Start Guide

Each model of BullseyeBore Core comes in a common size box with a model-specific design. Here is an example of Core Red CR1-101 box and the enclosed standard Quick Start Guide.

Pilot Run Obstacles and Next Steps

While we’ve made great progress in our Pilot manufacturing, we are still in the most uncertain and tenuous period of the manufacturing cycle, as we are doing many things for the first time. This is true of any new product, and while we’ve taken steps to reduce potential issues, unforeseen issues often arise during this period.

We have recently run into two obstacles as we configure our tooling and manufacturing processes. The first involves the UV glue used to secure the Acrylic Window to the Housing. We found that excess UV glue sometimes bleeds out onto the visible portion of the window during installation. The second issue relates to preventing the strong epoxy we use from distorting parts during the curing process. We have outlined solutions to these issues and are working with the manufacturing team to overcome these hurdles as soon as possible.

Due to our team's differing time zones, there is about a 24 hour turnaround time for these types of discussions, but we will continue to keep backers updated to our progress, any delays, and our shipping estimates as we continue to work towards completing our Pilot run.

We will be back to share more updates on our Pilot run and transition to mass production in the coming weeks!

As a reminder, your Backerkit surveys must be completed by September 6th in order to receive your order without delay.

Can't find your survey invite? You can request a new survey invitation by entering your Kickstarter email address at https://bullseyebore.backerkit.com/

If you need to update your shipping address, please send an email with your name and new address to [email protected].

Thank you for your patience and support! We will continue to do all we can to ensure that BullseyeBore Core is worth the wait.

-John and the Team at BullseyeBore

* BullseyeBore Core is the first commercial product to be manufactured and distributed by BullseyeBore Inc. As with any new product, there is the potential for challenges and unforeseen delays. We have done all we can to prepare for and get ahead of potential manufacturing issues, but it is still possible that we will encounter obstacles during our Pilot production run. We hope to quickly overcome any issues that arise without causing further delays, but it is possible that some revisions may require more time. We will continue to keep backers up to date if there are any delays that will impact our shipping timeline.

Manufacturing Has Begun!
6 months ago – Tue, Aug 06, 2024 at 04:29:06 PM

Hello backers,

We have officially started manufacturing and preparing all the necessary elements for our Pilot and mass production runs! Despite running into a few component delays, we have been continuing to make good progress.

Pilot Manufacturing Progress

Completed Components

We are happy to announce that we have completed all manufacturing of BullseyeBore Core injection molded plastic parts for the Pilot production run! We have also completed production of labels, some accessories, and other miscellaneous components.

In Progress

We are currently in the process of manufacturing the individual product boxes, Quick Start Guides, and the 6” aluminum worksurface accessories, and this process is proceeding smoothly.

We have already manufactured 800 Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) for the BullseyeBore Core Pilot run, and we are currently in the process of manufacturing the associated laser modules.

Looking Ahead

After each completed laser module is attached to an individual PCB, the entire assembled unit is configured for the correct laser output (Class 1 certification). We expect the Pilot run laser and PCB assemblies to be completed on August 19th.

At that point our independent Quality Assurance team will sample and review the laser and PCB assemblies. After components have been reviewed for quality, we will be able to move into final manufacturing of units for the Pilot run. Final manufacturing for the Pilot run is expected to last 3-4 weeks, and we will be shipping those units shortly after.*

Based on our progress, we have tentatively scheduled Pilot run units to be packed the week of September 14th-21st, and then orders will begin shipping.

We will notify backers when shipping has begun.

* BullseyeBore Core is the first commercial product to be manufactured and distributed by BullseyeBore Inc. As with any new product, there is the potential for challenges and unforeseen delays. We have done all we can to prepare for and get ahead of potential manufacturing issues, but it is still possible that we will encounter obstacles when we begin our Pilot production run. We hope to quickly overcome any issues that arise without causing further delays, but it is possible that some revisions may require more time. We will continue to keep backers up to date if there are any delays that will impact our expected shipping timeline.

Mass Manufacturing

We will be reviewing and revising our manufacturing procedures during our Pilot run as necessary. We plan to move directly into mass manufacturing after the Pilot run is complete without delay, as components are received.

To ensure that backers receive their orders as soon as possible, we will be shipping out products from our mass production in batches, rather than waiting until all units have all been completed. We will ship to backers according to their original backing date, so that backers that were pledged first will be the first to receive their orders.

We will notify backers when their orders have shipped.

We want to assure you that delivering this product to backers is our highest priority, and we will do all that we can to get backers their orders as soon as possible. We will also continue to share regular updates on our progress.

Survey Reminder

While most backers have completed their Backerkit surveys successfully, there are still a small number of backers that have not yet finished their surveys. If you have not yet completed your Backerkit survey and payment for shipping, please do so before September 6th. Backers are still able to complete their surveys after this date, but their orders will be placed last in the priority list and they will have a longer wait to receive their order.

Can't find your survey invite? You can request a new survey invitation by entering your Kickstarter email address at https://bullseyebore.backerkit.com/

Note that if you used Apple Pay as your payment method, we have sent you a link to your survey through Kickstarter messages.

Thank you for your patience as we continue to work hard to ensure BullseyeBore Core is worth the wait!

-John and the Team at BullseyeBore

July Updates: Things Are Speeding Up
7 months ago – Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at 05:02:51 PM

Hello Backers,

We’ve been hard at work for the last six weeks as we’ve entered the production stage of our project. We’d like to share some of the things our team has been working on recently and take a look ahead at our manufacturing and shipping schedule.

2024 Red Dot Designer’s Night

As we've mentioned in previous updates, BullseyeBore Core was awarded the 2024 Red Dot Design Award for Product Innovation in the Tool Accessory Category.

As winners, our design team was invited to attend the annual Red Dot Designer’s Night event at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, Germany in June. The event brings together Red Dot product design awardees from all over the world and puts hundreds of award-winning products on display.

Here is what BullseyeBore Inc. founder, John, had to share about the experience:

“It was for me as an inventor, product designer, builder, engineer, etc., one of the most inspiring events I have ever attended. The combination of the historic museum, award winning products, and other designers made it a truly unique and wonderful experience.”

“I am certain that everyone in attendance walked away from the event even more inspired to design and build great products.”

The entire BullseyeBore team is honored and grateful to have won this award and to have attended the event.

Manufacturing Progress

First Manufactured Samples

We completed final testing of the changes to our window bonding technique and finalized the design for manufacturing in late May and have since been working on getting everything ready for our Pilot production run. This process included finalizing the pre-order numbers of Core units and accessories and placing orders for the components with our partners.

While we wait for the parts to arrive at our factory, we’ve been working to do all we can to improve our manufacturing process.

In late June we received our first manufactured BullseyeBore Core sample and put it through a series of tests to ensure it meets our standards. Here's a clip of one of our rotational impact tests.

We also created a sample locally following the same manufacturing procedures and using the same glues, and provided feedback to our manufacturer for improvements in their process based on our experience.

300 Unit Pilot Run

We are still waiting for the factory to receive all the needed components before manufacturing can begin on our Pilot production. The parts are on the way, and we expect manufacturing to begin in late July.

Based on where we are at in the process, we expect to ship the 300 Pilot units in late August.

Mass Production

During the 300 unit Pilot run we will assess our manufacturing process and revise it as necessary. If all goes well with the Pilot run, we will transition directly into mass production.

We hope that there is a smooth transition between runs and that no major changes to the process are necessary. Though it is inevitable that issues will be encountered in any new manufacturing process, we are doing all we can to anticipate and minimize the impact of any such issues.

Based on our current trajectory, we are still hoping to have all Kickstarter orders shipped by the end of September. We will be able to share better estimates next month after we complete the Pilot production run.

We understand that delays are disappointing and regret that we were unable to meet our campaign's original production and shipping timeline due to the unexpected design changes we encountered.

We want to assure you that delivering this product to backers is our highest priority, and we will do all that we can to get backers their orders as soon as possible. We will continue to share regular updates on our progress.

Thank you for your patience as we continue to work hard to ensure BullseyeBore Core is worth the wait!

-John and the Team at BullseyeBore