Re: 2019/2020 - Update From RevoHQ' -
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:47 pm
Hi All,
It has been a while since we last gave an update regarding the new puzzle (Salmon) so we would like to let everyone know what is happening. No one has seen the puzzle in person except for the HQ team and we are working tirelessly to ensure that this puzzle will be fantastic for you.
The Salmon has around 39 parts, much more than our Silver with 16 parts. Some of the parts require precision machining to 0.01mm to ensure we have a reliable working puzzle.
We have had to work very hard to ensure there are no parts of the maze that can be cheated as well as ensuring all elements are functional and reliable.
This has undergone many versions to find the ultimate version. Then we have had to find a reliable way to manufacture on a consistent basis.
We have tried different clamping techniques as well as trying different tools to achieve our goal. This has been an expensive learning curve as some of the cutters we have used are around £30-£40 each.
We are now getting the result we have wanted!
The Salmon has always been targeted as our best puzzle ever and high expectation has been driven by our customers. We aim to deliver this as our showpiece. The result will be a very high quality £300 puzzle that will justify the development and the very long wait for some of our customers.
We have however not just focus on the Salmon, but also planning for the future.
We have had two major issues that we needed to address for some time. Due to our puzzles being multi-levels, the small steps are sometimes cheatable due to the nickel plating process. This adds material and rounds off edges.
There is electroless plating, that adds minimal material but makes the surface dull (matt) and is not in keeping with our quality finish. Mazes that are unplated are smoother and have crisp edges making the maze usable as we intended. But they tarnish quickly making your hands black.
Another issue is that our engineers are a production shop, so small runs cost them much more due to setup costs, which is passed onto us and then onto you. For each design, we have to make a minimum of 100 units and that makes them expensive.
So to produce the Lime, for example, will be very high cost. Our Silver was developed and would have cost much higher if it was not incorporated into large production run at Christmas.
So with these two problems, we have a solution. The new V3 Maze!
The new V3 mazes will soon take over the older mazes because the clever design allows us to run the mazes here. Our machine has one problem, it has no “Y” Axis. This makes the 7 side flats difficult to machine in one operation and has to be done as a second process on our milling machine.
We have designed a new maze body to allow us to machine just the maze in brass. This then fits into a two-part stainless steel body that ends up with a complete maze!
Now we can make small runs of mazes as and when we like, so have commissioned our engineers to make 200 new V3 Maze bodies. In the future, we are just getting the Sleeve and Maze Body plus pins from our engineers.
We are making 100 Lime as the first run and then some Salmon before going onto the Aqua, Blue, Green, Titanium, Gunmetal, Indigo, Mint and Copper. The Bronze and Orange will be made by our engineers. (Silver will be discontinued until 2029 when we will have another 100 made).
Two more new puzzles, the Grey and Turquoise are coming for Christmas. (Level to be agreed).
We can then supply mazes to go with the V3 body.
We NOW have 200 V3 Bodies here. We are ready to finally ship the V1 Salmon (once independent testing takes place), Lime, HM Black Merc and Mini’s will be run in August before all attention will switch to our R2 Solar Puzzles in September.
While we have been quiet in terms of updates, much has been going on in the background. In between everything, we have also been shipping our current stock for customers.
We will soon put up pictures of our V3 (Shane and Ali have seen actual pictures of design and stock) with a Blue Maze to show the benefits of our new design.
Keep you posted…
Best, Revo Production Team!
It has been a while since we last gave an update regarding the new puzzle (Salmon) so we would like to let everyone know what is happening. No one has seen the puzzle in person except for the HQ team and we are working tirelessly to ensure that this puzzle will be fantastic for you.
The Salmon has around 39 parts, much more than our Silver with 16 parts. Some of the parts require precision machining to 0.01mm to ensure we have a reliable working puzzle.
We have had to work very hard to ensure there are no parts of the maze that can be cheated as well as ensuring all elements are functional and reliable.
This has undergone many versions to find the ultimate version. Then we have had to find a reliable way to manufacture on a consistent basis.
We have tried different clamping techniques as well as trying different tools to achieve our goal. This has been an expensive learning curve as some of the cutters we have used are around £30-£40 each.
We are now getting the result we have wanted!
The Salmon has always been targeted as our best puzzle ever and high expectation has been driven by our customers. We aim to deliver this as our showpiece. The result will be a very high quality £300 puzzle that will justify the development and the very long wait for some of our customers.
We have however not just focus on the Salmon, but also planning for the future.
We have had two major issues that we needed to address for some time. Due to our puzzles being multi-levels, the small steps are sometimes cheatable due to the nickel plating process. This adds material and rounds off edges.
There is electroless plating, that adds minimal material but makes the surface dull (matt) and is not in keeping with our quality finish. Mazes that are unplated are smoother and have crisp edges making the maze usable as we intended. But they tarnish quickly making your hands black.
Another issue is that our engineers are a production shop, so small runs cost them much more due to setup costs, which is passed onto us and then onto you. For each design, we have to make a minimum of 100 units and that makes them expensive.
So to produce the Lime, for example, will be very high cost. Our Silver was developed and would have cost much higher if it was not incorporated into large production run at Christmas.
So with these two problems, we have a solution. The new V3 Maze!
The new V3 mazes will soon take over the older mazes because the clever design allows us to run the mazes here. Our machine has one problem, it has no “Y” Axis. This makes the 7 side flats difficult to machine in one operation and has to be done as a second process on our milling machine.
We have designed a new maze body to allow us to machine just the maze in brass. This then fits into a two-part stainless steel body that ends up with a complete maze!
Now we can make small runs of mazes as and when we like, so have commissioned our engineers to make 200 new V3 Maze bodies. In the future, we are just getting the Sleeve and Maze Body plus pins from our engineers.
We are making 100 Lime as the first run and then some Salmon before going onto the Aqua, Blue, Green, Titanium, Gunmetal, Indigo, Mint and Copper. The Bronze and Orange will be made by our engineers. (Silver will be discontinued until 2029 when we will have another 100 made).
Two more new puzzles, the Grey and Turquoise are coming for Christmas. (Level to be agreed).
We can then supply mazes to go with the V3 body.
We NOW have 200 V3 Bodies here. We are ready to finally ship the V1 Salmon (once independent testing takes place), Lime, HM Black Merc and Mini’s will be run in August before all attention will switch to our R2 Solar Puzzles in September.
While we have been quiet in terms of updates, much has been going on in the background. In between everything, we have also been shipping our current stock for customers.
We will soon put up pictures of our V3 (Shane and Ali have seen actual pictures of design and stock) with a Blue Maze to show the benefits of our new design.
Keep you posted…
Best, Revo Production Team!