I am very excited to announce the launch today of Pact Plate on Kickstarter! I have been working on this hardware project for a while now to solve a real need for which there is currently no practical solution. Click the button below to go to the Kickstarter page to see the video and get all of the details! I’d love to have your support today!
While there are many different modular bolt-together building systems to help create your hardware projects, there really aren’t any good options when it comes to simply mounting things on a rigid flat surface. You always seem to have to custom fabricate a surface, and usually end up using a flimsy and cheap board material that can’t be used again on another project. So, if there are so many easily reconfigurable modular framing systems, why isn’t there a modular and reusable solution for the base plate, or the foundation of your hardware projects? The answer is Pact Plate!
Also, you will notice in the video I have designed a full assembly line around an open source learn-to-solder flashlight kit designed by Sean Hodgins. The “product” of this assembly line is the flashlight PCB with a 3D printed red clam shell case. The flow of the assembly line features multiple stations including: a PCB soldering fixture with component feeders, Drill press fixture, PCB electrical and Thermal test jigs, Automated assembly fixture using a cheap 5-axis robot arm with part feeders, and an automated packaging fixture.
I initially created this end-to-end assembly line to serve as a great example application for Pact Plate. Gathering initial feedback from my Maker friends, I have come to realize that this assembly line can also be a valuable teaching tool to go beyond the typical learn-to-solder kits; so I will be releasing all of the assembly line jig files here! See below:
