Hello, hello, community!
I’m back with another behind-the-scenes look at a facet of production for the V - and this time, it’s the mass production of the V Pen loops. You may recall that last year I did a topic on various aspects of design of the V accessories, and part of that was about the testing of various sizes and shapes for the Pen loops (see Project: V | Loops, Finishes, And Cables, Oh My! if you want a refresher).
Now I’m giving you the final cut - which sizes we chose, the material colors, and a cool video showing the actual assembly of these loops. And when I said let’s get loopy above, I’m not kidding - there’s sharp needles! There’s fire! Yes, we even burn things before we’re all said and done! It’s a loopiness extravaganza!
So, sit back, relax, and stay a while, and let me take you on a journey down the mass production of the V Pen loops.
It’s all about the loops
In the previous topic, we covered the design of the loops, including testing different variants to usability as well as durability. Along with that we also evaluated various materials, including fabric and leather, both the elastic loop as well as the tab. Having made our choices, it’s time to assemble the loops by hand. Sort of.
Tabs with elastic material attached, waiting to be sewn. The process starts with the elastic being attached using a mild adhesive to tab (see the video!). Note the adhesive anti-stick backing on the tab - that other adhesive is pre-applied to the tabs.
From here, the loops are sewn shut to the tab.
An operator sewing the elastic loop to the tab. The ‘top’ edge from the previous picture of the elastic is simply looped over and both edges are sewn in place. The loop + tab combos are left connected to thread and simply moved out of the way to accommodate the next one to be sewn together.
Once sewn together, the tabs then have a double-sided adhesive pad attached, so that the user can peel back the anti-stick paper and attach their tab wherever they choose to.
A large amount of sewn loop + tab combos. Once all of them are gathered another operator will cut the threads as close to the elastic as possible, leaving a tiny amount of thread sticking out. It is here that an ordinary, everyday lighter is used to burn the end of that cut thread to help prevent unraveling of the stitching.
Finally, once all assembled and separated, the loops are gathered to be included with the V Pen in the box.
The entire manufacturing process is a bit more interesting than just that, though. Naturally, we’ve got a video of the entire process. And remember, I did promise needles, and fire!
So, there you have it. It’s a pretty simple process, yet exceedingly complicated due to the size of the loops. Still, these operators prevailed, and we got our shot at going loopy for the V 2021.
Thanks for accompanying me on this journey - ‘loopy’ though it was. Until next time!
