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    Oxide and Friends

    Tales from Manufacturing: Shipping Rack 1

    Tue Jul 11 2023
    ManufacturingAIPackagingLogisticsUser Experience

    Description

    The episode covers various aspects of manufacturing at Oxide, including debunking fears of AI taking over, building and scaling up production, packaging considerations, on-site presence during manufacturing, collaboration challenges, overcoming issues, testing, logistics, user experience, collaboration, reflection, testing capabilities, operations team, and open source policies.

    Insights

    AI Doomerism Debunked

    Research shows that fears of AI taking over the planet are unfounded.

    Building Relationships in Manufacturing

    Strong relationships are crucial in manufacturing, especially during challenging times.

    Packaging Considerations

    Packaging of expensive computers requires careful consideration and testing.

    On-Site Presence for Manufacturing Success

    Being physically present during manufacturing helps understand pain points and iterate on them.

    Collaboration and Challenges in Manufacturing

    Tight collaboration between teams is essential in building a physical product.

    Overcoming Issues in Manufacturing

    Challenges with logistics, packaging, and damaged components require proactive solutions.

    Importance of Testing in Manufacturing

    Testing is crucial for both the product and packaging to ensure quality and delivery.

    Logistics and Customization in Packaging

    Establishing partnerships with logistics partners and customization options are important for successful shipping.

    User Experience and Barcode Readers in Manufacturing

    Building a good user experience and using barcode readers improve efficiency and prevent errors.

    Reflection and Open Source Policies

    Taking a holistic approach, reflecting on achievements, and open sourcing policies contribute to manufacturing success.

    Chapters

    1. AI Doomerism and the Ill-Founded Fears of AI Taking Over
    2. Building and Scaling Up Production at Oxide
    3. Packaging Considerations and On-Site Presence During Manufacturing
    4. Collaboration and Challenges in Manufacturing
    5. Building Trust and Overcoming Challenges in Manufacturing
    6. Overcoming Issues and Improving Packaging Design
    7. Importance of Relationships and Testing in Manufacturing
    8. Customization and Logistics in Packaging
    9. Debugging and Testing in Manufacturing
    10. Barcode Readers and User Experience in Manufacturing
    11. Collaboration, Reflection, and Goodwill in Manufacturing
    12. Testing Capabilities, Operations Team, and Open Source Policies
    Summary
    Transcript

    AI Doomerism and the Ill-Founded Fears of AI Taking Over

    00:00 - 07:45

    • Research conducted after the episode on AI doomerism reveals that the fears of AI taking over the planet are ill-founded.
    • People's curiosity and appreciation for the physical world have diminished due to their reliance on the virtual world.

    Building and Scaling Up Production at Oxide

    07:18 - 14:27

    • Oxide has been involved in building not just hardware and software, but also the manufacturing process, supply chain, and logistics.
    • The operations team at Oxide has developed a crate for shipping their racks and is focused on scaling up production.
    • Specific requirements for size, weight, storage space, and sturdiness were communicated to crate vendors.
    • Three prototypes were received from different vendors to ensure quality before mass production.

    Packaging Considerations and On-Site Presence During Manufacturing

    14:00 - 21:04

    • Packaging of expensive computers requires careful consideration and testing.
    • Being physically present during manufacturing is crucial for understanding pain points and iterating on them.
    • Having a US-based contract manufacturer in close time zone has been beneficial for Oxide's success.
    • Eric, the onsite representative, has played a significant role in building relationships and resolving issues.
    • Documentation and process development are essential for making the manufacturing repeatable.
    • New Product Introduction (NPI) entails figuring out and fine-tuning processes.
    • Being onsite during NPI phase provides continuity and facilitates the transition to production.
    • DVT with a production mindset helped in transitioning engineering documentation to production.

    Collaboration and Challenges in Manufacturing

    20:36 - 27:36

    • Transitioned engineering documentation to production mindset.
    • Created assembly documentation during DVT.
    • On-site presence was crucial for efficient progress.
    • Balancing urgency and rigor in building a physical product.
    • Tight collaboration between operations, hardware engineering, and software engineering teams.
    • Controlled entire manufacturing software stack.
    • Close relationship with contract manufacturer is unusual but beneficial.
    • Maintaining good relationship with the manufacturer is important.
    • 'Our family' culture at Oxide helps in getting support and navigating challenges.

    Building Trust and Overcoming Challenges in Manufacturing

    27:10 - 34:07

    • Building mutual trust is important in manufacturing, where everyone's input is valued.
    • Line technicians at Benchmark have been observant and proactive in raising process issues.
    • Operators at the assembly stage were invested and cheered as they completed the final assembly.
    • The sidecar heat sink issue involved warped heat sinks for the RAC switch powered by Dafino 2.
    • The weight of the heat sink was reduced, but there was a concern about cracking the PCB due to leverage.
    • The heat sinks were received with bent fins, requiring them to be straightened or manipulated for use.
    • Communication with the China team was challenging, so contact was made with their US-based manufacturing plant.

    Overcoming Issues and Improving Packaging Design

    33:39 - 40:42

    • Had issues getting in touch with the China team and ended up contacting a US-based manufacturing plant for assistance.
    • Late night calls were made to align everyone involved in resolving the issues.
    • Shortage of bent heat sinks and uncertainty about the cause of the problem.
    • The US-based manufacturing plant helped fix some of the heat sinks.
    • Packaging design was overlooked by the supplier, leading to damage during shipping.
    • Working on permanent design changes to address flatness and warping issue during transit.
    • Challenges with logistics and responsibility for damaged components.
    • Implementing incoming quality control inspection for flatness on components.
    • Focus on shipping a quality product rather than blaming others.
    • Issue with misstuffed heart on shark fin Rev D, requiring rework of around 1200 units.

    Importance of Relationships and Testing in Manufacturing

    40:13 - 46:52

    • Differentiating between current gen and last gen shark fins under a microscope.
    • Importance of matching markings on electronic parts.
    • Building strong relationships is crucial in times of need.
    • The inability to search for relationships requires constant investment and attention.
    • Example of Eric building relationships with Bruce Wessels at Benchmark.
    • Learning the importance of relationships before things go wrong.
    • Small mistakes like incorrect part number markings can have significant consequences.
    • Testing is essential not only for the product but also for packaging and delivery.
    • Surprising results from testing M.2 connectors and the importance of testing all aspects of delivery.
    • Details about drop tests and packaging design improvements based on test results.

    Customization and Logistics in Packaging

    46:24 - 52:48

    • Material selection in packaging allows for customization and dampening of certain frequencies.
    • Templates for packaging were tested and found to be ineffective.
    • A courier was used to transport a box of shark fins, resembling a drug deal.
    • The courier service Delta Dash operates like an Uber for flying packages across the US.
    • Working with couriers becomes necessary when other shipping options are not feasible.
    • Establishing partnerships with logistics partners like Seaco provides flexibility and support.
    • Seaco has successfully moved racks across the country multiple times for the company.
    • Finding a logistics partner with industry experience in moving data center racks is important.
    • Transparency and collaboration are valued qualities in a logistics partner.
    • Logistics and freight brokerage can be complex, but Seaco simplifies the process for the company.
    • Eric Asen and Nathaniel Huffman were thanked for their assistance in safely moving a heavy box containing expensive equipment.

    Debugging and Testing in Manufacturing

    52:28 - 59:14

    • Thanking Eric Asen and Nathaniel Huffman for their help in finding a rigging company to move the heavy equipment.
    • The manufacturing line required debugging and improvements in both hardware and software.
    • The urgency to understand the manufacturing process and communicate it to benchmark.
    • Debugging the chassis level programming was a good example of identifying and fixing issues.
    • The software team, including RM and Josh, played a crucial role in outlining the test process.
    • The involvement of Double E's helped bridge the gap between hardware and software.
    • On the mechanical side, assembling a rack posed challenges in placing parts correctly on a bomb.
    • Small components or custom manufacturing parts could cause delays in shipping products.
    • PBT, DBT, EBT are different phases of development with specific goals at each stage.
    • In EBT phase, engineers focus on validation without causing any damage or smoke.
    • In DBT phase, it is like a dress rehearsal for production where manufacturing processes are tested.
    • Barcode readers were used during testing with varying levels of success.

    Barcode Readers and User Experience in Manufacturing

    58:48 - 1:06:20

    • Barcode readers were discussed, with the more expensive one being much better than the cheaper one.
    • The basic barcode reader works fine for scanning large and flat items without glare.
    • The good expensive barcode reader has laces instead of eli days and is quite good.
    • The manufacturing process involves software engineering and IT department tasks.
    • A standard setup includes a keyboard, mouse, Dell Optiplex desktop, monitor, barcode scanner, USB, and programming probes connected to a VPN for remote management.
    • Complex debugging can be done remotely with the help of other people on-site.
    • The user interface (UI) for programming stations is seamless and easy to use.
    • The UI makes it hard to do the wrong thing and guides users to do the right thing.
    • A lot of polish and logging into the system has been implemented in the manufacturing process.
    • Logs were used to identify issues with shock fins having incorrect barcodes programmed into them.
    • The system now prevents valid barcode scans from being ignored on certain screens.
    • There was an alarm system in place that would go off when unknown barcodes were scanned during manufacturing.
    • CEO Steve took appropriate action even without understanding the problem indicated by the alarm.
    • At one point, disassembling manufactured items was necessary due to an issue with barcodes. Child labor was engaged for scanning purposes (legally).
    • Effort was put into building a good user experience for programming stations and test software.

    Collaboration, Reflection, and Goodwill in Manufacturing

    1:05:50 - 1:13:05

    • It's important to build a good user experience for programming stations and test software, as it helps with building goodwill and clear direction for the manufacturing team.
    • The relationship with Benchmark has been treated as an inverted sales relationship, which goes hand in hand with good documentation and user experience.
    • The close relationship between hardware, software, and operation/manufacturing at Oxide has been crucial in solving problems efficiently.
    • Taking a holistic and team-wide approach is essential when building in the physical world, rather than relying solely on contract manufacturers.
    • While reflecting on achievements, it's important to acknowledge schedule slips but also recognize the remarkable progress made within the given time frame.
    • When requesting schedules from external entities, it's not necessary to have detailed information; a rough estimate is sufficient for planning purposes.
    • The Oxide team values professionalism and effective communication when dealing with suppliers who have decades of industry experience.

    Testing Capabilities, Operations Team, and Open Source Policies

    1:12:40 - 1:19:44

    • The team added dim testing to the prospect connectors quickly and easily using a GPIO pin and an Adafruit USB, GPIO, FTDI dongle.
    • They have been able to control their own fate in terms of USB problems and react to crises as a team.
    • They are looking forward to receiving feedback and improving their processes over time.
    • The ops team is excited about making the PCB revision process repeatable and improving quality and yield.
    • Removing silos between teams and having operations close to engineering has been a major win for them.
    • Having a diverse operations team with experience from different industries has served them well.
    • They plan to open source their ops policies and procedures in order to provide reference material for others in the hardware space.
    • Teamwork has been crucial for their success, and they have a great team that makes the dream work.
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