From idea to gadget. The path of the "Samurai" in Russia (part 2)

Good day!
I will continue the story of the creation of a secure flash drive Samurai. You can read the first part of the story here - From idea to gadget. The path of the "Samurai" in Russia .
When the idea was more or less formulated, we began to implement it.

Prototype ( November 2007 )

First, a flash drive layout was developed, the dimensions of which we were not particularly worried about. In the end, it turned out the size of a pack of cigarettes.
At the time of development, a client appeared who immediately acquired 20 such “flash drives”. It was a board covered with shrink, with bumps from the keyboard buttons.


Here is the "evolution" of the PCB with examples.

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Patent ( January 2008 )

If you invented something, and in the modern world, especially rich in various “fabrications,” you should immediately patent it. So far, it has not been invented, and most importantly, someone else has not patented it!
There are so many nuances in patent law that you can gain as much as you can and lose everything.
For example, if you received a patent in Russia, things went "uphill" and you decided to patent the device around the world, then you will be told that there is already a similar thing in Russia and you cannot get an international patent. And skating on the floor and shouting that “This is my patent!” Will not help.
It is also no secret that a flash drive with a password is not a novelty. But there is a specially trained person - “patent attorney”, so he will find loopholes and make a patent first, uniquely, and secondly - competently, and it will be approved and registered.
It is for these reasons that we turned to the "verified" attorney.
Search for patent attorneys in the registry . This state site works badly. He is already lying - without a habro effect, so the request is “not all at once.”
First, the patent attorney must find analogues and prototypes, that is, check whether our device does not contradict other people's patents. It takes about a month. And worldwide patent search will take about three months.
Search engine patent in Russia

One of the patents:


There was a huge amount of Korean patents for similar flash drives. But there are patents, but there is no production. They do not let them out, apparently waiting for someone to start production, and even then they will immediately begin to sue their interest.

Finally, they composed a competent patent that did not conflict with any other patents.
It cost about 200 thousand rubles. in 2008. We applied for three devices at once:

• the same secure flash drive with a password
• magnetic destruction coils
• and server hard drive destroyers

International patenting also costs about 200 thousand, but already American dollars.
Although the patent says that it expires in 2018 ( see photo ), but if you do not pay annually for the “maintenance” of 1.5 thousand rubles. up to 4 thousand each, it will not be possible to contact them in the case of patent disputes. We do it through the same attorney.

Over time, we received new patents, as the form factor or the principle of the equipment changed.

Industrial Design ( February - March 2008 )

Industrial design (as Wikipedia says) is a design industry whose goal is to determine the formal qualities of industrial products, namely, their structural and functional features and appearance.
In short, exactly what we need: the development of design and documents for the further creation of the mold of shells.

Long could not find a company that will make industrial design. We will not hide why. See for yourself:
Commercial offer:


As you can see, it costs a million rubles! We didn’t have that kind of money, and the loans were not yet in vogue :)
We were confused, but found a solution in the form of a freelancer named Ilya Melekhov . A car designer by training, an artist and a creative person in general - he took on this task with passion and enthusiasm. He did everything that was in the above “price list”, but for less money and in excellent quality.
We provided him with a drawing of a board with dimensions, and soon we received pencil sketches.



Well, we chose - you already know. Then they played with color. Shells were black and white and even yellow.

Everything that was up to this point was something intangible and depended only on us. Then begins the most difficult part of the path of the Samurai in Russia.

Molds ( May 2008-August 2009 )

What is this mold can be found in the same Wiki
And in short, it is an iron form for the manufacture of shells ( like children in the sandbox, only for more serious ).
With the drawings of Ilya in the hands, we began to look for those who will make it to us. Since it was originally decided to make plastic cases, we also needed a mold for this material.
In 2008, the manufacture of molds was tight. And the search for the company took quite a long time. And those whom we found, began to strain us quickly. People who disappear forever and don't pick up the tubes asked for a 100% prepayment ie. 300 thousand rubles But agreed on 50% and for good reason! Instead of the planned 2-4 months of manufacture, they managed to stretch the terms to 14 months. Every month they reported on progress, but in fact things were completely different.
After the manufacture of the mold, they had to proceed to the production of shells. And even discussed the number: 1000 pcs.
As a result, everything that came out from under their mold had to be actually doped with a file, something to bite off with a nipper or pick one’s finger. Some elements in the plastic parts, in spite of clear drawings, pictures and computer 3-D model, were completely different from the approved sample.
To the question: Why did this happen ?! ( not original question )
The answer was received: We thought that it would look better.
Well, you understand that they did not receive the remaining 50%.

As the saying goes, “find 3 differences”:

Manufacturing of cases ( May 2010 )

As soon as we received the first hulls, we realized that we were mistaken in the material. It was the last nail hammered into the coffin of the plastic case)))) - it was cheaply “felt” in the hand, there were scratches and barbs on it.
Although we made a model on a 3-D printer to “pull” the flash drive, but then it didn’t evoke such sensations.
Designer Ilya, even when he was designing us sketches, already said that the aluminum case is more suitable than the plastic one. We decided to try aluminum. Our mold was not suitable for this.
Attempting to enter any factory was not crowned with success. So, as the party of 100-300 pcs. Nobody is interested in a month, orders start from thousands of lots.
Again, it was necessary, using personal acquaintances, to “get attached” to companies making large orders and ask them to make cases.

Now the body is made of aluminum, all according to the same drawings. Do it like this:
• Take the aluminum bar and process the edges - round;
• From it "choose" a mill core, and then makes holes for the keyboard;
• After make protective processing of metal - "anodizing"

I just want to warn you that anodizing is prohibited in Moscow, since work is being done using acids and alkalis. Therefore, the body we produce in the suburbs, which complicates the delivery and production process.

And even in such a streamlined process, we then grind off the walls of the hull to a thickness of a piece of paper, then anodize the hull. As a result, up to 30% of the marriage, which is returned.
As a result, we understand that we need employees who check the quality of the cases, and such wasteful turning of the case results in a price equal to the cost of a finished Chinese flash drive with a capacity of 32 GB with delivery and customs.

Birth of a brand and style ( spring 2011 )

While we were going through this difficult path, the company went through it with us: offices and employees changed, and the direction of the company changed. As a result, it was decided to abandon the resale of security equipment, develop its own brand and deal in one direction - information destruction systems.
Variants of the brand name were enough, from “Susanin” to “Pavlik Morozov”))))))), but they decided that the name Samurai would sound more understandable in the world. A new company site www.samurai24.ru was created and the designer developed a commercial style: logos, envelopes, instructions, etc.
Rebranding cost about 100 thousand rubles.
These are the logos we had before the arrival of the rebranding.

Packaging

And the “cherry on the cake” in the development of any gadget is packaging. This is the last stage in the development, but the first thing the buyer will see, so it is important to make it the most creative. We are still arguing about the appearance of the package, at least because we need to collect the current box for the flash drive within 30 minutes.

In custody

The next stage in the life of the Samurai is to receive a certificate from the FSTEC and the FSB. But here, too, a huge number of pitfalls: starting with the fact that the preparation of documents in the FSTEC costs from 200 thousand rubles. and only about 9 companies are doing this to the whole of Russia and ending with the fact that it lasts at least six months.

From our experience we want to advise: trying to develop a gadget in our country from scratch, be prepared for several years of difficult journey and abominable work of enterprises.
If you want to save a lot and show an individual approach, then contact freelancers. Also, naively believing that having a plant here at your side, everything will turn out faster - a cruel delusion. Our friends made a mold for other products in China, it cost them less and faster, and most importantly, better quality.

If you have not viewed our profile yet, then I would like to say that we are located in Moscow on the territory of the Strogino technopark . We are helped here both organizationally and financially. And the state has allocated a grant to us for the development and the opportunity to “stand up”. Double-edged stick: we cannot buy or produce cases or other elements for our flash drive outside of Russia.

So, if you approach the business correctly, there will be people, money, and help in your startup! Dare!

R.S:
After the first article was published, we were showered with questions about what and how. I tried here to specify as many details as possible to simplify your path. If you have questions "how to start production in Russia?" - ask directly in the comments to
1) everyone saw the answer;
2) those areas that have not touched us, could illuminate other readers who are knowledgeable in these matters.

Subscribe to our blog. In the near future, we will arrange the sale of our equipment for habrovtsev.

Sources:
The first site of the company
Technopark "Strogino"
PCB Manufacturing Company
Designer Ilya Melekhov
Search patent attorneys in the register
Search engine patent in Russia