brs, I hope you can get a set from us. It's our hope that the product can sell enough to justify its existence. Every year our marketing people review what we're selling. They look at the costs to build, quantity sold, prices, margins, customer base, product line plan, how it sells other products, growth potential and necessity. Then they make some decisions about the future viability of the product and whether or not it will become 'DISCON". Their conclusions are usually correct, too. This product is a an indicator for other future larger robotic products (like a custom caster that matches, etc.) and we really need to see it be a success. With these machined parts it's hardly about making profit in the beginning (the margins are absolutely dismal compared to our electronics) but about establishing another niche we can grow over the next 10 years. That's the business plan and your desire to buy a set helps us realize this part of the dream. So, thanks!
Will any of these kit components be made available seperately? I am interested in several of the motors, bearing blocks, bearings and shafts for use in a kinetic art project... I'd like to buy them through Parallax to help support the cause.
Yes, we will offer the individual components to a certain extent. There's a lot of fixed cost in making anything for sale, so the same sub-systems that make up the complete kit can be purchased. To answer in specific detail I need to bring you on the "inside" of Parallax and switch to our internal lingo. This is the top-level Bill of Materials comprising the complete finished kit 27971:
Each of the above items will be available, either on the web of by phone-in. These are the subsets that make up the entire kit and there often exist levels and components underneath each part defined above. For example, the 29319 Position Controller Assembly PCB has many components.
Exactly how the above parts·are offerred is a bit undetermined at the moment, mostly because all of our inventory is built up into the parent product complete kit 27971. For our next round of manufacturing, which starts now,·we will be building additional inventory as backstock so the machined parts can be purchased individually. This only applies to things we manufacture, like bearing blocks and wheels, and not to things that we simply buy from the outside like tires and wheels. In other words, you can buy some parts anytime from this point forward, but others can only be bought individually once we have a bit more inventory.
We have two choices for making anything available for sale: (a) on the web, which involves more setup in the company for photography, web design, etc. or (b) by phone in. You can buy·nearly anything in our inventory (except BASIC Stamp leadframe pins. . .long story) by phone-in. The most popular items would be listed on the web, too, like the wheels, tires, bearing block, etc.).
This is much more of an answer than you were looking for, I know. But it gave me the double-duty chance to think out loud about what we'll do next with this product to sell the pieces comprising the complete kit.
Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
Post Edited (Ken Gracey (Parallax)) : 4/25/2008 4:07:55 PM GMT
I really appreciate all the information Ken... I'm so gald to hear that the individual parts will be available! I'd much rather put my business your way than another, or take the time to recreate the bearing block, for example. Please let us/me know when the motors and machine parts can be purchased and I'll place an order.
Comments
Dave
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Dave Andreae
Parallax Tech Support·
Ah, so what? Sometime around October, then?
Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
That was called sarcasm, Ken.
Bryce
brs, I hope you can get a set from us. It's our hope that the product can sell enough to justify its existence. Every year our marketing people review what we're selling. They look at the costs to build, quantity sold, prices, margins, customer base, product line plan, how it sells other products, growth potential and necessity. Then they make some decisions about the future viability of the product and whether or not it will become 'DISCON". Their conclusions are usually correct, too. This product is a an indicator for other future larger robotic products (like a custom caster that matches, etc.) and we really need to see it be a success. With these machined parts it's hardly about making profit in the beginning (the margins are absolutely dismal compared to our electronics) but about establishing another niche we can grow over the next 10 years. That's the business plan and your desire to buy a set helps us realize this part of the dream. So, thanks!
Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
Will any of these kit components be made available seperately? I am interested in several of the motors, bearing blocks, bearings and shafts for use in a kinetic art project... I'd like to buy them through Parallax to help support the cause.
Thanks for the consideration,
Tim
Yes, we will offer the individual components to a certain extent. There's a lot of fixed cost in making anything for sale, so the same sub-systems that make up the complete kit can be purchased. To answer in specific detail I need to bring you on the "inside" of Parallax and switch to our internal lingo. This is the top-level Bill of Materials comprising the complete finished kit 27971:
Each of the above items will be available, either on the web of by phone-in. These are the subsets that make up the entire kit and there often exist levels and components underneath each part defined above. For example, the 29319 Position Controller Assembly PCB has many components.
Exactly how the above parts·are offerred is a bit undetermined at the moment, mostly because all of our inventory is built up into the parent product complete kit 27971. For our next round of manufacturing, which starts now,·we will be building additional inventory as backstock so the machined parts can be purchased individually. This only applies to things we manufacture, like bearing blocks and wheels, and not to things that we simply buy from the outside like tires and wheels. In other words, you can buy some parts anytime from this point forward, but others can only be bought individually once we have a bit more inventory.
We have two choices for making anything available for sale: (a) on the web, which involves more setup in the company for photography, web design, etc. or (b) by phone in. You can buy·nearly anything in our inventory (except BASIC Stamp leadframe pins. . .long story) by phone-in. The most popular items would be listed on the web, too, like the wheels, tires, bearing block, etc.).
This is much more of an answer than you were looking for, I know. But it gave me the double-duty chance to think out loud about what we'll do next with this product to sell the pieces comprising the complete kit.
Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.
Post Edited (Ken Gracey (Parallax)) : 4/25/2008 4:07:55 PM GMT
Thank you,
Tim