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      01-30-2017, 02:04 PM   #23
ApexWheels
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Update: Production delayed. New ETA

This was originally going to be an update informing you of a 3 week delay as production space on the line has been held up by an OEM manufacturer. Unfortunately we were just informed of a production issue that requires significantly more time to correct. Our expected delay just ballooned from 3 weeks up to 8 weeks. You can read more details on why below.

This delay affects everyone in different ways, so we’ve come up with three solutions to cater to everyone’s individual needs. If you were a buyer in this deal, you will receive an email asking you to pick how you’d like us to handle your order. Email is the only way we can process responses. Please do not PM or post here with your selection.

More background on the delay:

In summary, all the crush testing that was performed was done on the incorrect version of each wheel. The wheels that were manufactured and tested were a prior design version that lack our strength/weight optimizations. Correct samples need to be produced and crush testing needs to be redone to receive official JWL/VIA certification. We’re unwilling to compromise on the quality of our product, so we’re re-running every test, even though it’ll take time for all these sizes. We view this as a small bump in the road to delivering on the quality standard that our community has grown to expect.

I would like to personally apologize on behalf of our entire team for the inconvenience this delay may cause.

Thank you in advance for your understanding.

-Eddy Pintacsi
CEO
APEX Race Parts
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      03-24-2017, 03:20 PM   #24
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ETA Update & Samples



Production samples just started arriving at our warehouse. We have an SM-10 in house now and we’re very excited. FL-5 samples arrive soon. Unfortunately, we are forced to add an additional 30 days to the ETA. We’ve documented the reason for the delay below along with some outdoor shots of the SM-10.

This is our 2nd delay, and in staying true to our principles, we will not force anyone to wait. We’re giving all participants 3 options again for processing their orders. If you were a participant in this deal, you will receive an email copy of this message. Please respond to that email with your option choice from the below list. Email is the only way we can process your selection.

The Three choices are as follows:

Option #1: I accept the delay as I want to keep my discount.

We’ll fulfill your order the moment it arrives. You’ll be among the first to receive these wheels and you’re guaranteed to receive the full $375 discount + free shipping*.

Option #2: Switch my order to an in-stock design at a discount.

Some of you may not be able to wait the extra time. If you need wheels right now then you may switch your order to any of our in-stock ARC-8, EC-7 or PS-7 wheels. We will honor the highest discount we’ve ever offered for those designs, which is $200 off + free shipping*. We can ship them right away if you switch. Note: We cannot apply the same discount from this group buy to the older designs as they are not priced the same.

Option #3: Cancel my order and forfeit my discount.

If neither of the options above are acceptable to you, then we won’t hold you prisoner. We pride ourselves in doing what’s right for our customers. Regardless of what caused the delay, we are ultimately responsible. We should bear those consequences not you. There are typically no refunds on Group Buy orders because of the special order nature of these deals. We won’t apply that policy to this deal as the ETA has been moved beyond the original promised ETA again. You may choose to cancel your order and receive a full refund of your deposit. The $375 discount and free shipping* you’ve earned up to this point would be forfeited and may not be redeemed at any time in the future if you change your mind after cancelling.

I would like to personally apologize again on behalf of our entire team if this extra delay causes you an inconvenience.

Thank you in advance for your understanding.

- Eddy Pintacsi
CEO

More background on the delay:

The complex milling on our wheels was not translating from design to final product correctly. We had to make numerous additional iterations to our milling designs to adapt to a production limitation. This issue stemmed from a miscommunication between the engineering department setting up cut paths, and the machine department that was not clearly articulating the limitation differences between the prototyping and production phase. If we boil down the problem to it’s essence, the factory does not have the machinery to produce our original designs. The issue only became inherent on the main production line, which is why it surprised us so recently. The majority of the delay is being spent on re-crush test everything again as we have to validate that our new simulated results match real world results.

In the end we’ve revised the milling of both the SM-10 design and the FL-5 design to work within the new constraints, which ultimately improved them in the processes. The final results are milling designs that we like even more than the originals.

SM-10 specific revision details

The SM-10 originally had chisel shaped milling. It’s been revised to a radius cut instead. The original shape was encountering issues near the center of the spoke because we did not have the 5 axes of control we originally believed we’d have. By changing to a radius we could still get ideal results with fewer than 5 axes.

The image below shows how the design was supposed to be machined, with smooth curves and consistent widths.



The image below is the first unit off the line where we caught this discrepancy. The machining at the center area is not as designed and created stress points.



The image below shows the revised version with a radius cut. The center area is much improved. In making this change we were able to go a bit deeper with our machining and we also like the look a lot more. Check out the Anthracite sample photos lower in this post to see how cool this change looks on a finished product.



FL-5 Revision details

The FL-5 already had a radius cut, but the lack of 5 axis machining was causing the cutter to not track correctly. The mill took excess material off the wheel in an area we didn’t intend. That’s been resolved with just optimizations to the cut path and a revised design that works within the machine’s limits. In the process we reduced the taper and also lengthened the cut so more material could be removed.

Below is a photo showing the FL-5 error were the cutter changed milling widths/depths unintentionally.



Below is an image of the revised machining of the FL-5 which is much cleaner, longer and more consistent.



Sample photos

We have have one 18x10” ET25 SM-10 Anthracite sample in our possession right now. We’ll be receiving 3 more samples over the coming weeks of the FL-5 and SM-10 design in various sizes and concavity profiles.

Below are detail shots of the 18x10” ET25 Anthracite wheel out in the sun.















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      04-05-2017, 05:02 PM   #25
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NEW APEX FL-5 Production Sample is Here!

The first production sample of the APEX FL-5 wheel has arrived! This is a 18x10” ET25 FL-5 in Anthracite sample. We’ll be receiving more samples over the coming weeks of the FL-5 and SM-10 design in various sizes and concavity profiles.

Below are detail shots of the 18x10” ET25 Anthracite wheel out in the sun.

Sample photos


















FL-5 Revision details

The FL-5 already had a radius cut, but the lack of 5 axis machining was causing the cutter to not track correctly. The mill took excess material off the wheel in an area we didn’t intend. That’s been resolved with just optimizations to the cut path and a revised design that works within the machine’s limits. In the process we reduced the taper and also lengthened the cut so more material could be removed.

Below is a photo showing the FL-5 error were the cutter changed milling widths/depths unintentionally.



Below is an image of the revised machining of the FL-5 which is much cleaner, longer and more consistent.

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