How fast can one person build a walking pad?

TL;DR:

• We did a full production test run with Marvin: our capacity estimates hold up, and we might actually be faster than planned
• Side panels are milled, slats are in production, but the main slat shipment now looks like the second week of August, so a delay is likely

Production Test Run With Marvin

Marvin, my engineering consultant, came by for two days and we ran a full production test. We went through the workshop together, set up and repositioned the workbenches, tested the layout, and positioned the shelves.

Then we did the actual run: first assembling the walking surface using a custom-made tool (a plate that positions everything correctly, which worked really well) then the side elements and the frame, and finally putting the whole thing together. Along the way we found some good tricks and optimizations. And we tracked the time for every single step.

Here's the encouraging part. Our estimate of four Office Walkers per person per day holds up. In fact, we were significantly faster than that, which leaves us buffer for packing and everything else. So our production capacity with the assumed number of employees could actually be higher than expected. Especially considering we'll likely optimize the processes further, and everyone will get faster with practice.

More Capacity Headroom Than Expected

There's more good news on this front. The slat manufacturer told me they can increase their capacity, so we're less limited there than I originally assumed.

For the side elements, we're considering bringing a second producer on board, which would significantly raise capacity there too. At that point the real constraint becomes our own headcount and the size of our rooms. We do still have space, but scaling up to too many employees too quickly doesn't make sense either. So there's some careful balancing to do.

Overall, though: we seem to have some headroom, and the assumptions from the production plan are holding up so far. They're still assumptions, of course. Real production will be the true test.

One decision that's still open is whether to ramp up slat production. That will likely depend on how things develop with the belts. There's no point stockpiling thousands of parts if we can't start assembling yet.

Parts Progress

On the slats: the first 120 pieces are being sent to me by air freight so I have material here to build a few new prototypes. The first batch of roughly 2,000 slats for the initial run of Office Walkers should be shipped by truck fairly soon. I've asked for confirmation but haven't heard yet whether they're actually on the road.

Timeline

Being straight with you: this does look like a delay. The slats definitely won't arrive in July anymore. Realistically we're looking at the second week of August. And the belt situation is the bigger open question. If one of the incoming samples works out, we might still be able to start production at the end of the month or the beginning of August. If we need a custom belt, that could add 6–8 weeks.

I know that's not what anyone wants to read, and I'm frustrated by it too. But I'd rather ship a product where the belt doesn't fail than hit a date and have units come apart later. The belt is what you'll be walking on every single day for years so it has to be right.

Johannes

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