Chimera7aus and 3D machining
Why are we so focused on 3D machining?
It's unclear as to if it is more common in modern day society or if it just wasn't acknowledged much in past generations, but more and more we hear of people and especially kids needing sensory stimulation. Some examples are people with, ADHD, OCD, SPD, Autism, Blindness or low vision to list only a few...With this in mind and looking at products on the market as well as talking with people in older generations we felt that there was a possible hole in the market of toys, activities and learning products.
Comparing Chimera7 to the majority of products on the market today. Creating for sight, sound, touch and smell.
Looking at the majority of things that are currently on the market, and not just today, but even the last 10yrs plus, the focus has been on mass produced plastics, low production costs and often low quality, but not necessarily low prices. So our goal is to do the opposite...Natural materials that feel...well...natural. No chemicals, paints or finishes added. So we have a material that it also different even when it is meant to be the same. Different colours, grains, textures, random swirls of lines and colours through the same piece of timber. This is great for sight and touch, and 3D machining instead of flat printing or laser cutting/engraving. To feel the bumps, lines, holes in the roads, to feel the pictures in a puzzle, for example a turtle that feels like a turtle. While these things look great and different in todays market place, it is perfect for touch. Leaving everything in raw timber allows everything to still smell and feel like raw timber. It has been surprising how many people over the years of our product development have commented on the smell of the raw timber...
The cost of 3D machining a natural timber.
Straight up, Machining is a slower process than most other options like using a laser or injection molded plastics etc, so unfortunately we wont be able to compete with mass produced products on a price point. Timber being as unique as it is from one piece of wood to another, it is one of many reasons as to why we are individually machining every individual part we make, hand finishing every part, individually burning or adding food colouring, and it is because every piece is different. Therefore the labour cost is more on our products than with other methods. The cost of using natural raw dressed timber is higher than a composite timber as any knots or cracks are typically seen as a weak point, and this alone results in about 25% of everything we make as being a factory second or being moved out to kindling. We are also in the process to form all of our saw dust and un-savable parts into compressed fire bricks. This will in turn see us with another potential produced as we aim for 100% use of all our waste material.
Manufacturing towards a greener future.
Our goals for Chimera7aus is to build a sustainable green company that provides flexible employment for our local community. As we sell products, all available money will be reinvested into Chimera7, from tooling and equipment to build more variety in the products in a cost effective way. Increase solar power supplies etc to aim for a zero cost power supply (produce what we use), and keeping the human element in the production process, to help support local employment in a family friendly environment.
The name Chimera7aus stands for,
'C'reating - 'H'ands on - 'I'nteractive - 'M'emories with - 'E'ducational and - 'R'enewable - 'A'ctivities. The '7' refers to the seven pointed star on the Australian flag. 'Aus'-100% owned, Designed, Machined and hand finished in Australia.