Packaging the Pick and Place (Plus Our New Name!)

After a few months of work, Lucian's done designing packaging for the pick and place kit! With a few drop tests, we've confirmed it'll survive the worst a shipping company might expose it to.
We're really excited to announce our new name: Opulo! It's been literally months of testing names, checking for domains, brainstorming, and talking with our lawyer. Based on the word "populate" and "operation", we rearranged some letters into something we liked the sound of. Thanks for all the advice and name suggestions!
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[@stephen_hawes]

My favorite OPULO backronym: Optimized Production Utilizing Limited Observation. Can you come up with a better one?

[@A3dprintedman]

I'm very interested in working for you. Are you hiring interns?

[@valentinreichenbach1461]

Oh. Package was dropped by Ups. LOl

[@jmr]

Organized Placement for Unlimited Logical Operations Organized Placement for Unlimited Linear Operations

[@OhHeyTrevorFlowers]

Oh, perhaps u like Oreos?

[@warnold909]

Ostentatious Pekinese Under Low Opulence

[@MrRedAlexander]

UPS Logistics veteran here, mostly very impressed with your packaging! I do not work for FedEx and can't exactly say how their system works, but I've been all over the UPS end of things, and I would like to suggest 2 more slight modifications to your packaging. First, the tape that you use to seal the top flap closed, try and wrap it around to the bottom of the box, and make sure the ends are completely flat and touching the box, this will help keep the tape in place and keep the box closed. Second, while not a requirement, take into consideration compressive forces from all directions. There can be jams in out buildings that can put a lot of force on a box from odd angles, and boxes can also end up at the bottom of a stack of other boxes on top of them, so making sure that your package is able to take some weight/pressure from all sides will help it survive. Otherwise it looks like excellent packaging.

[@racgrac28]

You forgot the UPS Driver that throws your package 20 feet across your yard to your porch!

[@angrydragonslayer]

And past this, it's just luck This wasnt UPS or fedex but i've had a carrier destroy a custom anvil. It was a 16 kg anvil with 3.9 kg of packaging. just barely got accepted and i was convinced that the 6 cm minimum of packaging was enough. There was a ~600 gram chunk missing and the anvil was split in 2 when it arrived.

[@dougb70]

why is it when I get a package from UPS, my entire porch is covered in dirt? I assume that is cocaine???

[@lucianchapar]

I learned a TON going through this development process. Packaging used to be a thing I’d let “another team handle”, so it was a whole thing wrapping my brain around the design challenge this ended up being. Even the CAD workflow was something that took a little while to figure out. We had to make sure that every single component in the box had an accurate 3D model I could reference. Additional consideration went into minimizing the number of undercuts in the finished packaging assembly - we did that so that minimal things would require changes in the event that we ever switched to a molded packaging solution. Overall, it was a fun challenge and I’m very happy with where it ended up.

[@atanisoftware]

One option to consider is double thickness cardboard for the exterior packaging. I received parts from NXP that were mangled on the outside a bit but inside was in good shape due to the extra thickness

[@fyremoon]

Have you considered using cardboard pulp instead of foam to provide a hard structure around the components and be an easy to recycle or compost packaging rather than foam? Having a cardboard packaging inside should prevent the contents shifting and affecting the outer packaging. A plastic film can always been placed on the outside to prevent water ingress weakening the packaging.

[@AaronEiche]

It is really great to have a behind-the-scenes look at how a product is put together - and not just from a design and manufacturing standpoint, but also the often-unseen work like "what if the package gets dropped" during shipping? It's a really cool and offers a ton of insight. Thank you!

[@E3SniperspreeE3]

How much is one of these kits expected to cost. And can we pre-order?

[@shazam6274]

Nice effort boys, but... In the USA, a truck loading dock is 4', i.e. 48", 1219 mm. Most delivery vans unload by tossing the boxes up (sometimes they miss). Secondly, if we are talking about "tossing" (usually in sorting and loading of the delivery vans), figure 5 ~ 6 feet up in the air; so drop test from 2 meters. Lastly, Fed Ex is one of the "gentlest" package delivery services out there. Everyone else (looking at you UPS and DHL) is a lot worse. If you pass the test you are conducting in this video at 30", you will be guaranteed to have 3~5% shipping damage in real life. If that is OK, then you're "good to go". If not, redo the test along the lines indicated above. "Been there, done that" for over 40 years, just sayin.

[@lucianchapar]

Thanks for the feedback, we’ll be keeping an eye on our early shipments and following up with customers to see how the kits arrived at their locations. Definitely not a bad idea to drop from some higher heights to see how we stand as well! The production black foam is way denser than the white material, so I’m very confident in this package’s protective capabilities.

[@madmonkey7183]

Shut up and take my money 😀 No seriously how can I make this happen ?

[@bjarkeistruppedersen8213]

I Hope you have a well-ventilated space around the laser cutter. The fumes from foam can be bad for you, especially if you are reguarly exposed to it, which might be the case, since you are using it for production 🙂

[@GiovanniIgorCesarotto]

If You look closely they have a exhaust pipe connected that seems to be going outside so I guess they are safe

[@matthewsimmons6831]

Those tests looked rough. It's an interesting insider into bringing a product to market, and safely, intact, to the customer.

[@ericlotze7724]

On the note of packaging, look into "Molded Pulp". It is used for those "Fast Food Drink Holders", but there is another version of the process that produces a more plastic like surface finish, either way it's neat, and pretty green assuming sustainably sourced pulp is used (Recycled Paper/Cardboard, Sustainably Managed Forests, Bamboo etc)

[@DrunkenSwimmer]

You may wish to invest in a kraft tape machine. It's a bit of an investment, but kraft (paper) packaging tape is a fair bit more durable than regular packaging tape against abrasion and slicing, along with be able to be used to add protection to an underlying packaging tape as well. Finally, you can get custom printed tape with your company logo/branding which goes a long way in adding a professional touch to otherwise non-descript packaging. One other note regarding your packaging: What happens if a box of engine parts gets dropped on top of your packaging? Right in the middle of the largest face? Likely, no, but I've seen some really mangled boxes (especially when shipping internationally). I've received and RMA where a (what we thought was reasonably protected) unit of ours arrived where the box was half ripped open and completely crushed, so much so that even with the 2 inches of bubble wrapped around an inch of closed cell foam, the 1/8" folded steel case was completely caved in. I know that when we ship larger orders, we use a much heavier and stiffer grade of corrugated box than we use for our smaller orders, in part because of the likelihood of impacts from _other_ packages. In the end however, packaging is just a physical form of insurance. You can always spend more money on it, and it will give some amount more protection, but it doesn't strictly add value to the product. At the end of the day, as a business you need to turn a profit, and as long as the customer is happy with the outcome (even if it means an occasional RMA/secondary shipment), then 'good enough' is good enough.

[@draco5991rep]

Is there any way to financially support your business through stock investments? I really love the energy of your team and I would love to invest in the company but don't have a big deal of money, but I think your company have the potential to grow big and I would love to invest from the very beginning. I already told everyone I know that is into making electronics about your awesome project, keep up the good work.

[@OddlyIncredible]

Stephen does have a Patreon if you want to support his endeavors more generally, but I doubt his company is looking to do anything like stocks as that's a whole other level of difficulty.

[@jimjjewett]

I was kind of sad to see him putting the parts in by hand, instead of using a (possibly larger) pick-and-place.

[@dmitriyv4557]

Your progress looks very good! Hope you will be able to deliver Opulo PnP machines to Europe and Russia (have no idea how to do this in reasonable price taking into account all current political shit). BTW, greetings from Russia. :)

[@lucianchapar]

We’re partnering with DHL for international fulfillment of our products, so hopefully we’ll be able to get you a machine for a reasonable shipping rate!

[@dmitriyv4557]

@@lucianchapar Thanks! Hope to get and use your machine some day. Good luck, guys!

[@allip673]

It looks like you're using open cell polyurethane foam. I'd try closed cell polyethylene- it's a lot more structurally sound, and shouldn't allow excessive part movement.

[@FixDaily]

Since you have a laser, why instead of using a metal base, why don't you use acrylic?

[@lucianchapar]

Acrylic isn’t rigid enough to be the primary plate we mount the camera or homing fiducial too, at least now without a foot underneath it. It’s probably an ok option for extending the work area of the machine if you aren’t using a conveyor belt and feeders though!

[@paulcanon5199]

Hi Stephen 👋... Paul here from India, i have a small PCB assembly and 3D printing company setup here, looking forward for time when your pnp machine is available for purchase, i hope you make it available for international markets

[@OddlyIncredible]

As long as they're not dealing with export-restricted things like crypto, the big kicker will be international shipping, and I probably don't have tell you what kind of a pain that is.

[@Clark-Mills]

Packing suggestion: Put two bars on the top and two bars on the bottom with the "bits" protected in between rather than having the four bars along the bottom. Yes, there will be a fractional amount more of foam used but the rails will buffer incursions into the box. Of course feel free to ignore and you've done a remarkably great job all the way through; congratulations.

[@estapkabin]

Is there any target price?

[@Sleighbells96]

This is still really sick, while this is likely something I probably can’t afford (and absolutely don’t need lol) I haven’t seen any project like this and am super excited to see where it goes

[@manuellongo4365]

Congrats - it looks great plus the fact you show the drop tests, cutting the foam and the tweaks is much better than just showing results or simply keeping them private.

[@evilutionltd]

Perfect timing, I have just pre-ordered. I was considering pulling the trigger on a $4000 unit from China that's the cheapest I could find but excessively large.

[@briandd57]

Watched your videos for a while, then stopped. No particular reason. But, what I've seen posted lately is exciting! I'm an electrical engineer and am interested your kit for an IIoT R&D project I've been driving for a few years. Tired of manual PNP, and you like to try your Index/Opulo machine. When will it be available and for how much?

[@cacaokingdom3122]

Part of my first job after college was doing drop testing like that. Dropping $100k pieces of equipment was an experience!

[@rogerorchard2317]

it was not FedEx, while unloading my unit (an R&D porotype only 4 working units at the time) manage to miss the ramp, and the unit missed the ramp all together, and fell the full high of a 747 cargo door, some of the unit was usable but they did have to repair the airport, and a 50Kg unit dropping that high does a lot of damage to the ground. yes we got parts cost back, its was priceless, the rack (23in rack not 19in) with AC fix this £50K+ how every hard you try ships will do there best to break it. that is why 1 of our bits of test kit gets our "1st fist" seat on planes when ever it travels.

[@andz23]

The LumenPnP just arrived fine in Germany, looks bit rough from the outside but everything is fine inside. Great packaging :)

[@bartoszkazmierczak7249]

Every time I hear that background music I think I've clicked a MyPlayHouse video by accident

[@jonnnywayway]

When is pre orders

[@dailyfactsgpt]

Could you guys please fix your audio? Dropping shit with 80DB and the whispering again is hilarious. The only thing i understand was *PLOP*

[@r0bst4rl1ng]

I still like the Opulo "Piquant Place" or the Opulo "Pecan Place" :) (chili pepper logo or nut logo, respectively)

[@bytesizedengineering]

I'm so excited for you guys! I want to order one of your first machines.

[@movax20h]

Decent. But I really dislike the foam packaging. It is a huge pain to disposes of later. Yes, for small company shipping many parts, it is easy to do prototyping in it, just by laser cutting sheets and glueing, but it is not ultimate packaging method. Far from it.

[@behroznoorani6081]

Hey I belong to Pakistan. Can I get it here ? Secondly tell me all the things which you are providing one by one and lastly to assemble it what exactly type of parts I need to arrange here ? You just said plastic parts but which part ?

[@hojirick]

The energy you two give to your videos is incomparable. I love this channel and everything you do so much!!

[@ElectricEvan]

Agreed. It really says a lot about the care the projects documentation must receive.

[@roedyhellyeah]

i'm scaling up from 50 to 3.000 to 60.000 every second will cound if you scale up

[@ldomotorsjason3488]

Congratulation for the new name, it's awesome name!

[@ElectricEvan]

The problem with using a standard size Stephen or Lucian for scale is that I have no idea ether of you are in my preferred unit of letter size sheets of paper.

[@webdes03]

Kudos for really going through the testing process and making sure the kits arrive as expected. You guys are well past being a guy in a garage designing a kit... definitely playing the part of a full blown company!

[@tag4843]

have you tried making inside packaging out of cardboard instead of foam ? it should be as cost effective as foam and would save so much waste that will end up on landfill after you open the package

[@lucianchapar]

It’s definitely a goal of ours to make this packaging more eco-friendly, but our first focus is getting kits out to early adopters safely! I have a few books on cardboard packaging I’ve been reading through in preparation for testing out some folded cardboard packaging, but it’s definitely way more complicated!

[@E3SniperspreeE3]

@@lucianchapar I'm interested in being an early adopter. How much is the kit expected to cost?

[@kevingallineauii9353]

This is the type of thing I hope to someday do. It is soo inspiring to see you do it and bring it to fruition. That is a job well done!

[@ashwinzondag1987]

Looking great and professional. Do you already an idea when the kits would be ready to ship and what kind of price it will be

[@afourtrackmind]

I've been advocating taping the seams of boxes for as long as I can remember. Its a cheap way to make the box waaaaaaay tougher.

[@adamarmfield1069]

looks like you'll be needing to buy some google ads for that name...

[@Dynamics556]

where do I buy the machine please ? Does it come with instructions on how to set it up?

[@ingmarm8858]

I think you should call the actual machine the "UpYours"

[@retinapoliyn7462]

Yeaa, Order Packaging I love behind scene.

[@robottinkeracademy]

I like your back of the curtain info from you start-up start-up :)

[@MAYERMAKES]

Congrats on the new name, and I'm very happy that you intensely test the packaging, it shows how much care you take in this project.

[@maesitos]

I love the word, it sounds like an opulence octopus

[@LUMLTZ05]

are planning to support 0201 size?

[@TipsTricksMore]

WOW! Everything is moving so fast 👍 It’s just awesome to see all you guys work flourishing! YEAH!!!!!

[@markadyash]

really love your work I like to work for your company for free will

[@EarthlyF0rg0ten]

Great stuff it's came a long way.

[@dazrich20]

needs a pick and place machine for the packing

[@Skraap]

Great! Maybe put a piece of cardboard at the ends of the extruded aluminium to spread the load if it is dropped?

[@lucianchapar]

The lid of the box adds an extra layer of cardboard on both sides of the aluminum when the box is closed! We’re a step ahead of ya! Great suggestion though.

[@roepot]

I was thinking exactly the same Søren. To spread the load evenly on the foam from impact of a single rod of extrusion. The extra layer of cardboard from the lid will help to protect but not to prevent. An it is a super simple and cheep add… The box looks amazing. Would be super exited if I would open this up….!

[@portlyoldman]

I’m going to have to get a new T-shirt now!

[@rick_er2481]

What will be the cost of the index?

[@TwinStarGenny]

Lumen is a pretty great choice

[@Davedarko]

oh nice, prusa mini support :)

[@qiuqiuqiuqiu263]

Respect from china

[@derchesten]

Opulo pop! Pick Or Place kek

[@jamboyce]

Where can we buy one of these?

[@zulutime111122223333]

Great Job. Are you planning a "light weight" kit for shipping overseas? Maybe less extrusions, motors and the staging plate (i.e. all the heavy and lange stuff)? This might save $50-$100 on shipping costs 😉

[@aevum258]

"drop it like it’s hot" .cit

[@cianvaugh3411]

Wait did I just watch a reverse unboxing ??

[@OddlyIncredible]

Yes you did! And it came complete with physical abuse.

[@matuskunik2068]

i don´t need it,but i want it.. :D

[@OddlyIncredible]

Do you have any guesstimates on a target MSRP or range for the BYOP kit yet? (Feel free to DM if you don't want to broadcast that, as I know how people are about fixating on the first mention of a price point.)

[@BustersCNCchannel]

That is impressive. You should have done it with BYOS as well as BYOP, bring your own stepper motors, these are as cheap as chips in most countries. Cuts down a little on weight and possible internal damage from them.

[@DerSolinski]

Oh you had to rename... Not that anybody did see that coming like in July 2020 or so... But hey things we learn 😉 Still nice to seeing coming this far 👍

[@D3rron08]

Great video Guys!! I have an idea how about shredding the scrapes of foam into 0.5" to 1" pieces and use as packaging foam for the top cover or bottom layer by making a pillow using d pieces an d plastic bag that are semi compressed and seleled? @Stephen Hawes

[@bliiben]

Thanks a lot for the insights and exposing these guidelines and advices, this will hopefully prevent me from doing these mistakes. Such valuable information !

[@hagalazmultiverze3411]

SO cool to see how far, you've gone with the project!!! LOVED every single video!! Keep it up and the best of luck to you guys!!!

[@eyehear10]

Aptly named drop test. FedEx will absolutely find a way to drop your packages in every possible orientation.

[@jeffreycutler7364]

The mycelium packaging is great! I've taken a tour of their plant which is down the street from me. Great folks, just like you!

[@mbowers929]

I want one! Now! Lol

[@Danielwhitney2020]

Wow very impressive packaging, you guys are clearly doing it right. Cant wait until I can get one of these, cant justify it yet but soon, hopefully. Keep up the good work and thank for bringing us along!

[@EddieBlundell]

Pheww! My weekly fix has arrived :) The space is filling out nicely! Are you planning to do a new shop tour?

[@filipcvetanovski2545]

cant wait to get my hands on one!

[@harryman01]

Can the index PnP support placing components on the two sides of a PCB Yes, I know one side first then baked to solder all components, the flip the board , but can it do it?

[@JohannesLauesen]

Awsome guys, it is really impressive what you are doing there.... Hope you will have a complete kit soon too... then i'll be a customer.

[@hardwareful]

Modular Mycelium Packaging! There's that next project :D

[@dami4335]

How do you start a new Company without any guarantee that your product will sold? That's risky af, i don't think I could do it mentally

[@rpavlik1]

Does it make sense to include a photo of the contents correctly arranged, taped/glued inside the top, in case it is opened for customs?

[@Dragonmastur24]

I would very much like a machine and to support you,when they are ready!!!

[@ZURAD]

Designing a product and project is fun. Designing/doing acquisition for packaging is pain!

[@scottdonovan4841]

Watching that drop test really makes me thankful that I am in soft goods.

[@giovannislab1454]

I’m waiting for you guys to end up on an interview with Adafruit

[@joshsmithbuilds2158]

Yesss!

[@jackdaniels8898]

Thanks for sharing the process. Loved the video

[@Sherwin657]

How far off is selling and shipping out units?

[@jmr]

I appreciate you sharing details like this.

[@MkmeOrg]

Looks amazing!

[@ESCcrasci]

I can agree that packaging is hard. I have 2 smbs with a handful of products. I had to actually invest over 80% of what I did to make and prototype my devices just in the packaging since it's crucial. One good rule of thumb is using 1 boxe of different size around the main box since it helps prevent drop damages even more. But in the case of larger products it is harder. For fragile products I suggest putting plastic bits around things like the stepper that will dampen the effect of sharp objects on fragile ones. These usually increase costs heavily. The case of using 2 boxes. But, it helps the object remain safe from manhandling that could occur. And I personally like the new brand name since it's memorable.

[@lucianchapar]

Totally hear where you’re coming from about an outer box, thanks for the feedback! It’s something we’re willing to consider if it proves to be necessary. This is partially why we’ve opted to pack the cameras and PCBAs into a smaller ESD-safe boxes within the kit. Glad you like the name!

[@bjwoodruff]

Opulo I love it. You are already successful and I wish you more success. I think this type of technology will revolutionize the small, and mid market electronics manufacturing. When people talk about the digital world and meta whatever being the future I having more control over the things we make in the real world is the future and this is it. Making real things cheaper, better, and closer.

[@bobweiram6321]

The UPS drop is the ultimate test!

[@AJB2K3]

You haven't don't the Airtest which fedex and customs don't tell you about. You have to throw the package across the shop with the top of the flight arc 6 feet off the ground!

[@lucianchapar]

🤯

[@danielhildebrand7684]

Magnificent Mr. Hawes!

[@joep041188]

Great stuff! very exciting!

[@rujor]

Great name, guys 🤩👌!

[@oswynfaux]

Well the worst thing that can happen to your packaging is being pitched into a ravine by a lazy driver

[@lucianchapar]

I can’t help there besides facilitating an insurance claim 😂