Captains Log / KOBO Testing

Manufacturing

Development Work

INTRO

At KOBO we live and breath design, engineering, and manufacturing. Michael Pappas, our lead designer and founder, graduated from Texas A&M with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. After graduating he spent a year supporting Oil and Gas drilling equipment, top drives. This lead to the understanding of heavy drilling equipment, FEA analysis, and general manufacturing. A very analytical approach needed to be taken given the size of the equipment.

After the oil patch Michael spent several years prototyping, designing, and manufacturing Additive Manufacturing Machines (3D Printers). Experience with injection molding, machining casting, sheet metal, and several other manufacturing methods were learned.

The biggest take away was truly full system design - manufacturing, testing, mechanical, electrical, and software development. This can be complex task but having a focused and steady approach has allowed the refined design of the KOBO Power Reel. We take pride in developing and controlling each of the processes.

While the KOBO Power Reel has been in development for several years and now shipping for over 1 year, we're still taking our time to build units. We have components to build more units and are slowly scaling up production. We find our areas of refinement - supply chain, assembly, shipping, etc and are constantly improving these work flows.

This is one reason why we're direct to consumer (DTC). Our goal is to build a reliable product we can be proud of, as well as our customers fully trust. We take our time building and we do everything we can to support our customers. Their experience with KOBO is our highest priority.

We've pushed our reels hard, received customer feedback, and have a product we're proud to share with you. Learn a little bit more on our design and thought process throughout development!