Slide out keyboard discussion thread

[murak]

But lets keep the discussion going, lets focus on features and worry about who will design, manufacture and pay for the keyboard later 

That's the spirit!

Can you elaborate what makes it so hard? (I don't have any experience with anything like this)

Absolutely, I love talking about molds  

I circled some details that probably requires moving parts in the mold, for example the hole for the headphones. The part of the mold that makes the hole have to move out of the way before the case can be removed from the mold. Same goes for the other circled areas.

All the moving parts have to be automated so that they move back and forth in the right order while the mold opens and closes. It's especially hard to make the parts that have to move "inside" the case, like the small tap/lock in the picture above, since there is so little space. 

Here is a animation of a mold with moving parts that makes a spiral pattern on the outside of a plastic cup.

https://i.imgur.com/nipHz0x.gifv

The mold for the pinephone case above would be cheaper to make if it had less moving parts.

Please do say if I should elaborate more