We are deep into production and wanted to give you a clear picture of how the process is planned, where we are today, and what’s next.
The Glyph is in Production!
Basic Overview of Production Phases:
Not every part starts at the same time—components with the longest lead times begin first. Many of these items are being worked on concurrently. Here’s the general sequence we’re following:
- Purchase raw materials – Secure plastics, metals, and electronic parts early to avoid supply issues.
- Test raw materials – Quality checks to make sure the plastics, magnets, inserts, and other materials meet strength and durability requirements.
- Injection molding (longest lead-time parts first) – Producing shells, buttons, and other plastic components. The first “T0 samples” are inspected and refined before mass production.
- Build custom production equipment – Specialized jigs and tools (e.g., magnet insertion tooling for the top plates) ensure consistency and speed at scale.
- Cable production – Purchase wire, connectors, and housings, then mold cables and use ultrasonic welding to bond housings securely.
- PCB and electronics production – Manufacture circuit boards and source chips/components, then flash them with launch firmware.
- Assembly – Bring all parts together: plastics, PCBs, displays, magnets, and cables.
- Quality control – Every unit is tested for function and durability.
- Packaging and shipping – Final units are boxed, labeled, and prepared for freight to fulfillment centers.
Current Production Progress
- Injection Molds – T0 pieces (first shots) from all injection molds are completed and in testing. We’re now scaling production to prepare for final assembly.
- Raw Materials – Plastics and metals are purchased, inspected, and cleared for production.
- Top & Bottom Plates – Cutting of top plates has begun. Production samples of bottom shells are undergoing color and fit checks (gold anodizing + white powder coat).
- PCBs – Boards are produced, and our launch firmware has been completed and flashed. Stability was the top priority; feature enhancements will continue during production and be released in a Day One patch (including passthrough authentication and extra edge-case testing).
- Magnets & Inserts – Key hardware components such as magnets (for op/mid plates) and threaded inserts (for mid plate screws) are secured.
Magnets & Threaded Inserts for the mid plate
Quality Investigation: Display Modules
During pre-production testing (20 units built), one display had a failure that affected the main PCB. After investigation, we determined it was likely due to hand-soldering on prototypes, not a design flaw.
- We shipped the faulty display back to the manufacturer for a full QC review.
- Unfortunately, customs delays (due to shifting US–China tariffs) held the package for weeks and returned it to us. We’ve since reshipped it with corrective paperwork, and it just cleared Chinese customs today.
- Importantly: no other displays or electronics have shown this issue. Since displays are not immediately needed in the production line, this hasn’t caused a schedule slip yet.
What's Next
- Scale up molding and finishing of plastic components.
- Continue flashing PCBs in parallel with hardware production.
- Receive and validate the first mass-production display modules once QC investigation wraps up.
- Begin assembling pre-production pilot units for full-line QC before mass assembly.
Schedule Flexibility
If anything starts to slip, we’ve built in contingencies—such as using expedited sea freight—to keep things on track. We’ll provide updates if we need to adjust timelines.
Closing
We know it’s been a while since the last update, but the team has been heads-down aligning mechanical, electrical, and software progress to stay on schedule. We’ll be posting more frequent production updates as additional components arrive and assembly ramps up.
Thank you for your patience and support—we’re excited to get these units into your hands!
