November Manufacturing Update: Rod Fix and Footage of Manufacturing

November Manufacturing Update: Rod Fix and Footage of Manufacturing

Because many of you are wondering how things are going, we wanted to share this short video of Instafloss parts in production.

As you can see, lots and lots of parts are being produced. So far we have been blessed by the tooth fairy with relatively smooth sailing. On the plastics injection line there have only been a few minor hiccups, which is to be expected when new molds are fired up for long productions.

You can also see how we’re taking extra care to keep your shiny new Instafloss from being scratched.

A few of you have asked what is going on with the piston rod. The good news is we have prototypes of an entirely new material:

Plastic component in water flosser

(Prototypes in black. You can tell, if you look close, there is a small cosmetic mistake ;) )

These are rods custom machined out of Glass Reinforced Nylon 6. This material is Three to Four TIMES stronger than the previous plastic we had been using. We’ve already begun lifetime testing on this, and to shorten the process, we’ve also started production on a new mold.

We’re going with a new supplier for the new mold; one that specializes in fast turnaround times. Unfortunately they are more expensive, with each individual part costing 2.5x.

This was not a decision that we wanted to make. The original material was picked due to a high recyclability rating, and thus was one of the ways we intended to make Instafloss more eco-friendly. Glass reinforced plastics are not easily recycled. As we know with plastics, if it’s not easy to recycle, it goes to a landfill 99% of the time. Hopefully in the future, recycling methods become more efficient, and these parts can be recycled, but for now we’re going to have to make this trade off.

These have already been paid for and are under way. We’ll keep you in the loop as we always have. Thanks to some of the choices we've made, it appears we're dodging the worst case outcome mentioned in our last update, with manufacturing completing in early Q1.

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2 comments

Thanks for the update. It helps to know that you are making good progress. I am rooting for Instafloss!
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Instafloss replied:
Thank you very much, Ms Margie!

We greatly appreciate your support, and your kind words. We can’t wait to deliver your Instafloss :)

With Smiles, The Instafloss Team

Ms. Margie

I placed my order in June of 2021. When can I expect my Instafloss to ship?
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Instafloss replied:
Hello Roger,

Thanks for writing in! We’re scheduled to complete the first manufacturing run in Q1, 2023 at which point we will begin delivering pre-orders.

Looking forward to delivering your Instafloss :)

With Smiles, The Instafloss Team

Roger

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