The manufacturing of the pre-ordered kWeld electronics is running well, and I expect to have received everything by end of next week. I will start testing and programming them right after arrival and expect to be able to ship in week 34. If you have pre-ordered one, then I hope that you like working with the system as much as I do, and please give me your honest feedback.
In the meantime, there have been a few more additions and improvements. I am showing them on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/rQnODV4VQjU
- the system firmware has been extended by a bootloader that allows firmware updates via a simple serial connection. All you need is a terminal program that supports YMODEM file transfers, and an adapter that is available in the shop: https://www.kicksurfer.de/index.php/product/kweld-firmware-update-tool/
- a first sample of a 3D printed housing has arrived, and I am currently testing it. I plan to make it available in the shop, and also to provide the 3D data for free to enable you printing your own.
View attachment 2
- I have tested a new type of Lipo battery for use with the welder: Turnigy nano-tech 3S 5Ah 130C (https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-nano-tech-5000mah-3s-65-130c-lipo-pack.html). This is the first battery that has survived more than one hour of continuous torture testing without any measurable swell or other damage. This is so far the only Lipo that I can definitely recommend to you. You can download the torture test results here: https://www.kicksurfer.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/kWeld-torture-test.zip
- the electrode system needed to go through a third iteration. The battery torture test showed that the previous system had a too high ohmic resistance and was heating up too quickly. As a side effect, I could again significantly reduce the involved machining effort. The new system only requires crimping the cable to a brass tube, thread-tapping tube and copper electrode, and heat shrinking an isolation. This also makes electrode replacement easier than ever before.
View attachment 1
As the previous electrode design did not meet my quality requirements, I will inform all pre-order customers that they will receive the new design instead at no additional cost.