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Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

airgradient.com

91–99 of 99 posts

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#91
post #2

I'm the founder of AirGradient and last year we have decided to focus our company on open hardware air quality monitors that we produce professionally. Our outdoor monitor Open Air has been designed from the start as an open hardware project with a beautiful plastic injected enclosure to demonstrate that open source hardware can look and perform on the same level like traditional products. We do also work intensively…

The Sensorcommunity (formerly luftdaten project) is very popular in Europe with over 10k sites active. It seems very similar to your approach (oss for both hardware and software).

How does your approach differ from theirs? Will both interoperate?

https://sensor.community/en/

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#92
post #88
post #82

I'm trying to order one of these for my home in Thailand in an area with poor air quality monitoring. On the website it looks like you ship to Thailand for just $20. Is that really the case?

We are based in Thailand :) and yes we try to keep international shipping costs low.

Great! I'll place an order soon!

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#93
post #2

I'm the founder of AirGradient and last year we have decided to focus our company on open hardware air quality monitors that we produce professionally. Our outdoor monitor Open Air has been designed from the start as an open hardware project with a beautiful plastic injected enclosure to demonstrate that open source hardware can look and perform on the same level like traditional products. We do also work intensively…

Built one of the Airgradient Pro a few weeks ago, it works a threat! The bundled usb-c cable didn't work though.

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#94
post #2

I'm the founder of AirGradient and last year we have decided to focus our company on open hardware air quality monitors that we produce professionally. Our outdoor monitor Open Air has been designed from the start as an open hardware project with a beautiful plastic injected enclosure to demonstrate that open source hardware can look and perform on the same level like traditional products. We do also work intensively…

Built one of the Airgradient Pro a few weeks ago, it works a threat! The bundled usb-c cable didn't work though.

This is interesting. Can you please contact our support I would like to learn more about the failed cable. Thanks!

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#95
post #2

I'm the founder of AirGradient and last year we have decided to focus our company on open hardware air quality monitors that we produce professionally. Our outdoor monitor Open Air has been designed from the start as an open hardware project with a beautiful plastic injected enclosure to demonstrate that open source hardware can look and perform on the same level like traditional products. We do also work intensively…

This is random but I’d love to hear more about what’s involved in designing an enclosure and getting it manufactured at scale.

In general with injection molded parts the process has a few steps:

1. Design

Starting from a set of requirements and what has to go into the enclosure you start working on the design. Here you are often working with other teams that influence the design. These could be other mechanical designers working on interior components, electrical designers working on PCBAs, industrial designers that want to make the exterior aesthetically pleasing and nice to interact with.

The parts is designed with many factors in mind. What material will you be using? How does the part take into account good injection molding design practices (consistent wall thickness, avoiding undercuts, drafts to enable release from the mold, etc.)? How do the parts mechanically fit together? Normally you will be making prototypes at this point (e.g. 3D prints).

Once you are happy with the design you create drawings and send a 3D database and the drawing to vendors for quote.

2. Design For Manufacture (DFM)

Once you get the quotes back and choose a vendor you start the DFM process with your supplier. Their tooling engineers take a look at your design and provide a document with their feedback telling you where your design needs changes in order to be manufacturable. Part of this is running the part through simulations where they simulate how the plastic fills the mold to identify potential issues. You go back and forth until both parties are satisfied with the design before giving approval to start tooling.

3. Samples/Testing

About 6-8 weeks later the vendor has finished the tool and done some tooling trials to dial in their process before sending you the first off tool (T0/FOT) samples. At this point the parts are generally not textured and may have some defects. You inspect the parts and provide feedback about what needs to be improved. At the same time the parts will be tested to see if there are any design issues, if something needs to be changed there you issue the vendor a tool mod report and they quote the costs to make the changes in the tool before sending updated samples for inspection/testing (usually called T1, T2, etc.). Once you are satisfied you have the vendor send the tool for texturing and get samples that are hopefully the final design and appearance.

4. Production

Once the design is done approval is given to start buying the parts in high volumes for production.

Re: Open Source Outdoor Air Quality Monitor

#97
post #67
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They reposted the "When paying more does not get you more accuracy" link 4 times in 2 months. I don't mind occasional reposts but that seems a little much: https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=airgradient.com

Yes I agree on this one. I reposted it because I thought this could be quite interesting for the hn crowd. On the 4th time it got more than 200 comments. Since then I did not repost it again.

Would you have posted it again if the fourth post did not receive 200 comments?
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