Compute Blade: Your rack-mountable ARM cluster

Update 9.4
over 2 years ago – Thu, Sep 07, 2023 at 12:08:43 PM

Greetings once more, Bladers!

As we step into the next cycle of updates, we bring fresh insights following our productive meetings with our manufacturing partners. Today, we're excited to share with you the latest developments in our production journey and provide a glimpse into the multifaceted efforts required to establish a resilient global shipping network in compliance with all the necessary regulations.

One pivotal element in our quest to scale up production that merits attention is testing. Managing batch sizes of several thousand blades is no small feat. Our commitment to delivering the utmost quality and identifying any potential issues in the production batch or components from the outset has led us to invest significantly in advanced testing and automation. It's not solely about providing you with top-tier quality; it's about safeguarding the integrity of our manufacturing process. As we chart our course for a similar production scale in the coming year, testing will continue to hold a central role in our manufacturing flow.

In tandem with our testing endeavors, we've revisited our packaging strategy. Initially, our plan was to persist with the black plastic envelopes you may have come across – the same ones we used for our  beta testers. However, we've opted for a more conventional cardboard packaging solution. This transition not only streamlines handling, especially with the assistance of robotic systems but also aligns more seamlessly with larger cardboard industry standards, effectively reducing unused space and air during the shipping process to our valued distribution partners.

Moreover, we've heeded the growing global concern regarding plastic packaging. To address this issue, we've adopted an eco-conscious, recyclable packaging solution that incorporates all requisite regulatory and legal information. This eco-friendly packaging should meet import requirements and facilitate audits, ensuring our steadfast compliance with all relevant regulations.

Now, in terms of our manufacturing process itself, the wheels of prototype manufacturing and Series-0 production are turning at full tilt. The blades are not just looking and feeling amazing; they are a testament to our dedication to quality. Our next milestone entails eagerly awaiting the results of our testing for the mass manufacturing 0-series. Rest assured, you will be the first to receive the final test results and delivery estimates as soon as we receive the green light for the current production batch.

We want to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support. We are eagerly anticipating the moment when these exceptional blades will find their way into your hands!

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Your Uptime Industries Team!

Update 9.3
over 2 years ago – Mon, Aug 28, 2023 at 12:34:24 PM

Hello, Bladers!

Exciting times are upon us as we kick things back into gear! We've just touched down at our manufacturing partner's facility, where we're diving into the review process for both the dump and smart fan-unit prototypes we received last week.

Our initial assessment has revealed a series of minor adjustments that need to be made before we green-light mass production. After these slight modifications are manually addressed, we're pleased to report that the more crucial components are functioning smoothly. With this positive outcome, we're gearing up to initiate preparations for the upcoming production batch and, of course, coordinating the shipment logistics with our 3PL partner.

In terms of the issues we've encountered, they primarily revolve around a few key areas. The footprint for the reset button and the custom switch button need rectification, and we're also looking to fine-tune the LED brightness for the blade recognition feature.

Be sure to keep an eye on our Discord channel over the next few days, as we'll be sharing live footage directly from our bustling manufacturing site. This will give you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at our processes and provide you with further insights into the manufacturing journey.

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a jam-packed day with a series of crucial meetings lined up. Our agenda includes addressing a comprehensive range of manufacturing-related topics and working towards bringing them to a successful conclusion. This will enable us to seamlessly transition and hand over our operations to our shipping provider in the near future.

During these meetings, we're set to synchronize on a multitude of critical aspects. From scaling up production to meticulously crafting packaging solutions, conducting thorough testing, maintaining stringent quality control, extending unwavering social media support, configuring post-Kickstarter production setups, bolstering marketing strategies, and ultimately fine-tuning our shipping procedures – we hope to have it all covered.

Your continued support means the world to us, and we're committed to keeping you in the loop every step of the way. Stay tuned for more exciting updates, keep that enthusiasm alive, and together, let's keep forging ahead towards an incredible future!

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Your Uptime Industries Team

Update 9.2
over 2 years ago – Fri, Aug 18, 2023 at 06:21:45 AM

Hey there, fellow Bladers! 

It's time for our regular update – hope you're as excited as we are! First off, we've got some great news to share. Thanks to the awesome work of the social media squad of our payment provider, we're making solid headway. Thanks to X. The best part? Funds will flow, allowing us to keep our promises and keep things moving forward smoothly.

We get it, things hit a snag and we're a bit behind, about two month-ish. But we're on top of it. Working closely with our partners, we're crafting new shipping estimates for all pledge levels. Expect those fresh estimates in the next update, just 2 weeks away. Look forward to receiving them between September 1st and 3rd. Just before this, we're excited to provide you with real-time glimpses from the factory – keep an eye out for the link on Discord.

We're all about quality, and that's why we're flying into an on-site visit with our manufacturing partner. We'll be doing the nitty-gritty quality checks and sketching out our next moves. Once that's done, you'll have those highly anticipated new estimates.

Now, for something cool – the heat sinks. You asked, and here's a sneak peek, exclusive for you. The colors are popping, and we're stoked that our custom heat sink is in full-on mass production mode. Even though we didn't have all the colors nailed down during Kickstarter, we're thrilled to say all heat sinks are done.

Here's what's cooking on our end: taxes (yeah, we're dealing with those), testing shipments with our awesome 3PL partners, fine-tuning quality systems, and setting up component level tracking. We're also giving our 3PL warehouses a once-over, getting inventory management system on point, preparing a smooth onboarding + tools and setting up a lean B2B ordering system.

When it comes to logistics, we're prepping pre-registering shipments for specific countries, making sure everything's set. Oh, and the pièce de résistance ;) – bringing our first AI-modules prototypes to life. Exciting, right?

Huge shoutout for your support – you rock! We're committed to keeping you in the loop without the jargon. So, stay tuned, keep the enthusiasm flowing, and let's keep building something amazing together!

_

Uptime Industries team

Update 9.1
over 2 years ago – Tue, Aug 08, 2023 at 09:37:22 AM

Hello, everybody!

We have decided to switch to a 10-day update cycle and publish all news about the project every ten days. To keep you informed of the situation, delays, news, etc. However, feel free to ask in Discord (https://discord.gg/uptimelab), where I or community members will answer your questions (hello to all those already in Discord :) )

And as the first update:

• As all Kickstarter members know from the last update (it was for participants only), we had problems with our payment provider. We even had our account deleted (And they've almost started the returns). It was a pure misunderstanding due to the many payments initiated after Backerkit surveys were sent out. After a long communication with support (It took over two weeks), it seems that all issues were resolved, the account was restored, and almost all payments for shipping and addons were processed.
  For now, our account is still partially blocked because the payment provider is checking our company additionally. But I believe that everything will be fine.
• Almost all invoices to corporate clients are ready and sent (90%).
• Unfortunately, delays with the payment provider caused delays in the production and shipment of devices as the factory schedule is very tight. We are working on agreeing on new windows for shipments.
• We have arranged with Noctua to customize the fans for the Fan Unit. It will just be a shortened wire, but I think it's pretty cool and worth mentioning.
• After signing a bunch of documents, we got the necessary datasheets and prototype circuits of the Ai module for the Compute Blade ready. It's pretty complex, but it should work. I hope to talk more about it in the next updates.

Sincerely,

Ivan and the Uptime Industries team

What a roller coaster week!
over 2 years ago – Thu, Jul 20, 2023 at 06:04:24 AM

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