PART 3 of 4
Initial cameras are being manufactured using what is called “bridge tooling” which is in-process now. Once we receive first production articles of the electronics and the internal and housing parts, an initial run of “first article” imagers will be built and form our “Alpha” production samples, which will be purposed at field testing, evaluation and outside review. Because these initial units are actually produced via a production process virtually identical to the final production process (not prototyping): we expect the Alpha testing process to proceed rapidly. This essential process will permit us to make any final adjustments to the housing elements, our firmware and of course our applications. This testing and evaluation process will also allow us to begin to share with you the impressions of the camera from people outside of our company.
It is of significant note that after considerable winnowing we've selected our extended production team. As the various custom components begin to roll off their respective production lines, our production team is as excited about our camera as are we.
Our Infrared camera may be small: but our goals are very big. Because Mu Optics understands the importance of scaling this product
beyond the limits of our walls: our final assembly partner is an
extremely capable domestic electronics contract manufacturer with deep
experience in manufacturing highly technical products on a substantially
automated line. Also of importance to our team is the issue of corporate
citizenship: Mu Optics has leveraged the extremely talented but often
maligned American manufacturing base. Please understand that this was a
more difficult step for us to take than to simply push the “offshore” (Easy)
button, and it required a longer research schedule simply because the US model
is that of “many specialist vendors” rather than “one jack-of-all-trades
monolith”. We strongly believe this will be of strategic benefit to Mu
Optics as well as our customers in the future.
