Problem #1: Vacuum Sealed Bags getting Punctured in Shipping
- Tangled
- Oct 11, 2023
- 2 min read
Hey All,
Well we expected something to go wrong with this first batch. Creating a whole new product line rarely goes perfectly at ramp up. Please be patient with us, there could be more. We will work to fix them as quickly as possible.
This is the first main issue we are getting feedback on (Thank you so much for that). In this post we will explain what we think is causing it and our solution at the moment.
The Problem: Vacuum Bags Punctured
There have been several reports of the Vacuum sealed packaging being flacid on arrival. The cause has not always been clear but a few of you have sent us photos of the bags being torn. (Again thank you so much for sending this it really helps)
What is the Cause
There are 3 spools sent in a box. All three spools are sealed in a plastic vacuum form bag. Those three spools are than put in a 9x9x9 box. That box is then shipped via UPS.
The issue is likely the box.
The spools are able to shift inside the box. Do during rough handling they rub against each other and appear to be wearing through each other.
The Solution
Get a box that fits. 3 spools stacked have a bounding box of 8x8x9 inches. They were shipped in a 9x9x9 box. Hence the side shift.
Why did we ship in the 9 inch cube. It is cheaper. And we really did not think that shifting would be an issue. It honestly did not cross our mind.
In our factory a 9x9x9 box is a standard format that you can put anything in and have a set shipping cost. Larger and shipping is more. Smaller and you are wasting shipping opportunity. (That is why we used this format to ship spools rather than single spools)
Now going to an 8x8x9 box is not the end of the world and we will likely do this. Because you guys certainly do not need or want filament in bad bags. And the extra cost of the box is a couple of dimes.
But in order to get to $10 we have to chase those dimes. The devil is in the details.
On future batches with 1KG spools we will be moving to the 8x8x9 inch box. But long term will be pursing other options. So that standard and more affordable solutions can be used. So that we can continue to drive the cost down.
We want to be affordable. We do not want to be cheap. If we can't deliver a good quality product to you there is no point in doing this and we will shut it down or find another way.
Please keep sending us the feedback on other issues you run into. We need that. Transitioning our filament production into a consumer product we knew was going to cause some teething pain. We hope that you can be patient with use and we get this scaled up and refined.
Now onward and downward toward $10.