These are the steps remaining in our production timeline.

Scroll down for in-depth descriptions of the individual “lanes.“

9-14-24 - Deposit Progress

Our Pre-Sale Deposit Program is making quick progress, a MASSIVE thank you to our supporters! It’s happening!!! A limited number of slots are available, so jump in now to secure your place in Zero’s first production run. Get more info at our Deposit page.

  • Funds collected during this phase are immediately rolled forward into the Injection Molding and PCB Assembly pre-production phases.

Mold Cavity Fabrication

  • The injection mold cavity is an assembly of solid steel about the size of a microwave, with Zero’s features carved precisely into its layers. ABS pellets are melted and injected into the cavity, allowed to cool, then ejected to make way for the next cycle.

Revisions

  • After the first sample parts are shot, they are precisely measured and evaluated for fit and finish. Any required changes are performed on the cavity tooling before production sign-off.

Production Run

  • Zero’s custom mold tooling is loaded into a room-sized machine…a bunch of hissing and clanging happens…then Zero’s knobs and fader caps tumble out onto a conveyer belt. After the parts cool, further post-processing steps secure the pushbuttons inside the face of Zero’s enclosure. A 1000-piece production run takes 2-3 weeks.

Pre-Compliance Testing

  • Zero’s circuit board is tested and certified for compliance with regulatory standards. Any required changes are performed and follow-up testing verifies the results.

Pre-Production Prototype

  • A final round of production test articles is fabricated. These circuit boards represent the design which will ship inside Zero, and will give us a final QA pass before ordering a full run.

QA

  • Zero’s circuit board is tested for full functionality and the assembly process is finalized.

Production Run

  • Parts are ordered from distributors, FR4 fiberglass and copper foil are laminated together, and circuit traces are etched. A machine then deposits Zero’s hundreds of electrical components precisely into place. Finally the entire assembly moves through an infrared oven along a conveyer belt, melting the solder to form the final electrical inter-connections.

Software Installation

  • Zero’s system software is flashed onto the circuit boards and a round of QA tests are run to verify the knobs, faders, screen, and I/O ports function as designed.

Device Assembly & Shipping

  • Everything is bolted into place, bagged up, stuffed into the shipping box, and mailed out.