= Different types of small-scale manufacturing machines such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and programmable sewing machines, combined with an electronic design blueprint, enable people to create a wide range of objects. [1]

Description

Example

"A leading example of the power of personal-scale manufacturing technologies is Mark Kendrick. Kendrick designs beautiful custom model train parts. His designs are captured in software blueprints and sold online. Rather than selling his unique model train part designs to large toy companies that would mass produce them, instead, Kendrick targets hobbyist model train enthusiasts that own, or have access to their own small-scale manufacturing machine. Since the cost of manufacturing a custom train part on a small-scale 3D printer is only $25, Kendrick’s niche market of loyal consumers can afford to manufacture their own train parts -- no investment in factory-scale production is needed. Imagine if a model train enthusiast purchased Kendrick’s electronic blueprint and tried to produce the stainless steel train cowcatcher (shown in the figure) in a factory. The high cost of setting up a factory infrastructure would be well out of the reach of the average consumer. Unless a commercial toymaker was confident Kendrick’s custom designs would sell in large numbers, she would probably not invest in the set up costs; the market for custom cowcatchers is too small to warrant the costs of setting up large scale production. Personal-scale manufacturing tools are automated artisans: they combine the power of computer-guided manufacturing machines with the skilled artisan’s ability to create custom objects for niche markets. Unlike artisan or large-scale factory production, however, personal manufacturing is a low cost process that doesn’t require investment in an assembly line, or a skilled artisan."

Tools

"Personal-scale manufacturing tools enable people that have no special training in woodworking, metalsmithing, or embroidery to manufacture their own complex, one-of-a-kind artisan-style objects."

See: Personal Manufacturing Machines

Typology of Personal Manufacturing Machines (Hardware)

Desktop 3D Printers

Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman:

1.

"3D printers use as an additive process, meaning they make objects by systematically depositing a chosen raw material in layers. Somewhat similar in concept to that of an inkjet printer that orchestrates different colored print cartridges to form an image onto paper, the most common household 3D printing process involves a “print head” that works with any material that can be extruded, or squirted through a nozzle. Another common type of 3D printer uses a laser beam or glue to selectively fuse powdered plastic, metal, or ceramic raw material in layers." (http://web.mae.cornell.edu/lipson/FactoryAtHome.pdf)

More at Desktop 3D Printers

2.

Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman:

"Today’s lowest cost 3D printers have their roots in university research projects. The two leading consumer-level 3D printer platforms originated from university research labs at Bath University in England, and Cornell University in the United States. The University of Bath’s 3D printer is called RepRap and Cornell’s is called Fab@Home.

Perhaps because of their university origins, the machine blueprints for both RepRap and Fab@Home are freely available to anyone who wants to build their own machine, or to improve upon the existing designs.

Not only do Cornell and the University of Bath openly publish their machine design blueprints, they permit commercial companies to develop and sell their own versions based off of the designs of the original university machines.

In contrast, commercial-scale 3D printers are developed commercially and their product designs are proprietary and not shared publicly." (http://web.mae.cornell.edu/lipson/FactoryAtHome.pdf)

More at Open Source Desktop 3D Printers

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Desktop CNC Routing and Milling Machines

Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman:

"more established than 3D printers are desktop-sized numerically controlled (CNC) routing and milling machines. These machines use a physical blade to cut and carve precise designs into a broad range of materials. Under the guidance of an electronic design blueprint, a rotating mill bit, sometimes called a cutter, is spun along by a motor called a router or spindle. As the electronic blueprint guides the cutter along x, y and z coordinates, the cutting tool makes multiple passes over the material to create perfectly carved engravings or shapes." (http://web.mae.cornell.edu/lipson/FactoryAtHome.pdf)

More at: Desktop CNC Routing and Milling Machines

Desktop Laser Cutters and Engravers

Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman:

"laser cutters and engravers use intense, focused beams of light to cut out shapes and engrave images onto a wide variety of materials. Laser machines can produce images, text or designs in an amazing level of detail and precision. Laser cutters are versatile and can cut a range of materials from wood to plastics to leather, and can etch or engrave metals, glass and ceramics. Their versatility, speed and precision make them ideal machines for small businesses to create design prototypes and customized consumer products. Beyond engraving, one of the most common uses of home-scale laser cutters is to precisely cut parts out of a sheet of acrylic or wood. These parts can be assembled by hand into complex, 3D products." (http://web.mae.cornell.edu/lipson/FactoryAtHome.pdf)

More at: Desktop Laser Cutters and Engravers

Desktop Sewing and Embroidering Machines

Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman:

"Automated, personal-scale embroidery machines are already available in mainstream stores such as JoAnn Fabrics." (http://web.mae.cornell.edu/lipson/FactoryAtHome.pdf)

More at: Desktop Sewing and Embroidering Machines

Desktop Circuit Makers

Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman:

"PERSONAL CIRCUIT MAKERS FABRICATE MULTILAYER PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS ON YOUR DESKTOP, WITHOUT THE TRADITIONAL CHEMICAL-INTENSIVE INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES, EITHER BY MILLING OR SPRAYING CONDUCTIVE TRACES.

at-home manufacture of circuit boards is a rapidly emerging application for hobbyists and electronic designers.

Desktop circuit makers offer a clean alternative to traditional chemical-based processes, making them an appropriate tool for the classroom, lab or home." (http://web.mae.cornell.edu/lipson/FactoryAtHome.pdf)

More at: Desktop Circuit Makers

Computer-Aided Design Software

Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman:

1.

"Hardware is not useful without software. The adoption of personal-scale manufacturing machines comes hand-in-hand with the emergence of cheaper, and increasingly accessible computer aided design software (CAD).

Industrial designers and engineers have used CAD software for decades. However, CAD software has been slow to reach the consumer market and remains one of the last bastions of software still targeted to, and controlled primarily by high-end industrial users. CAD software is expensive, requires a computer with an excellent monitor and lots of memory, and perhaps most importantly, has a long learning curve that deters casual users. In industry, CAD software long ago replaced drafting tables and paper blueprints. However, due to its cost and complexity, CAD software has remained the tool of trained specialists and professional designers, not home users.

Industrial designers use CAD software mainly to design detailed 3D models or 2D drawings of components or floor plans. Process diagrams are another popular application.

The cost of CAD software is dropping and software companies are working hard to make it more user-friendly. In 2008, Google entered the CAD game with a no-cost version of 3D modeling software called SketchUp. Currently, SketchUp is offered in a “Pro” version that costs about $500 (at the time of this writing), alongside a free version."

2.

"Realistically, though CAD software continues to drop in price and complexity, it’s still nowhere near as user-friendly as today’s mainstream office applications.

Another barrier is that even the low-end CAD software described above was not created with personal fabrication applications in mind. Instead, today’s CAD software reflects its industrial legacy and is intended primarily for modeling and visualization applications rather than designing consumer goods and machine parts.

Ideally, to accelerate the adoption of CAD software aimed at the personal manufacturing market, design software would need to be easier to use and optimized for the unique constraints and capabilities of the physical manufacturing process." (http://web.mae.cornell.edu/lipson/FactoryAtHome.pdf)

CAD Tools

In 2008, Google entered the CAD game with a no-cost version of 3D modeling software called SketchUp. Currently, SketchUp is offered in a “Pro” version that costs about $500 (at the time of this writing), alongside a free version."

Rhino offers Windowsbased 3D design software from $95 to $1000. http://www.rhino3d.com/ .

A company called Silo offers Windows and Mac based design software for $99 and $159. http://www.nevercenter.com/silo/

Players

Personal Manufacturing Machine Makers

Personal Manufacturing Companies

Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman:

"A new breed of ... personal manufacturing companies, sometimes called “makers” ... is emerging.

eMachineShop

URL = http://www.emachineshop.com/

provides easy, convenient and low-cost fabrication of custom parts via the web.

"Customers can design whatever part they need using emachineshop’s CAD tools. Once the electronic blueprint is complete, users get an instant quote and can order the part to be made in the material of their choice. Users have ordered toys, car parts, electronic devices, games and more. Industrial machine parts are sold at eMachineshop."

Big Blue Saw.

URL = http://www.bigbluesaw.com

Like eMachineShop, Big Blue Saw offers users its own CAD tools so they can design wood, fabric, metal or plastic parts for prototypes and small project. Their web site describes the process as: 1) Create a design using the Big Blue Saw Designer or your favorite design software. 2) Upload your design to our website to get an instant price quote and to order. 3) We will ship you your custom metal, plastic, wood, or fabric object, typically within 3 business days.

Materialise

URL = http://www.materialise-mgx.com

a Belgium-based company that designs and manufactures high end art, housewares, jewelry and other luxury items in-house. Materialise hires professional designers to create blueprints of stunning usable objects that users purchase from their web site; if customization is desired, customers work with the professional designer to alter basic design parameters such as the size or color of the object.

i.materialise [2] is an experimental spin-off from Materialise.

i.materialise is an on-line service that offers 3D printing services of custom designs made by consumers. Consumers first manufacture their own designs using Google Sketchup. They get an account on i.materialise follow a series of simple steps to turn their electronic blueprints into reality using the site’s easy pull-down menu selection of surface textures, colors and other design features. After customers select their design, i.materialise manufactures their design using 3D printers.

Print23D – Pennsylvania, US.

URL = http://www.printo3d.com

Print23D offers 3D printing services for Fortune 500 companies to regular people who have CAD designs they’d like to try out. A small print job costs about $50 while a five or six inch square object may cost about $400 to 3D print. Print23D’s focus is on industrial and machine parts, not consumers and product designs.

Electronic Design Blueprint Aggregators

Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman:

"Aggregators are companies that host online catalogs of electronic design blueprints for available products, machine parts and other objects. Like amazon.com or eBay, aggregators offer storefronts for third party merchants such as designers. Some aggregators like shapeways.com also offer fabrication services, while others offer small-scale manufacturing services, while others, such as Ponoko, act as brokers between consumers, designers and makers.

Two of the pioneering companies are Shapeways and Ponoko.

Ponoko

– Location: New Zealand.

"On Ponoko’s web site, consumers, designers, makers and materials suppliers register for accounts and come together online. Consumers can design their own product using Ponoko’s starter kit design software and fabricate their chosen product themselves, on their own fabber. Or, consumers can download free and purchasable software design blueprints, and if they don’t have access to their own home manufacturing machine, can post a request via an online form to tap into Ponoko’s “making hubs” to have a nearby maker nearby do the fabrication. Ponoko’s materials suppliers sell paper, fabric, metal, rubber and wood alongside sophisticated hardware components such as accelerometers, sensors, GPS and wireless antennas."

Shapeways

– Location: The Netherlands and New York.

Shapeways is the leading aggregator with a large online collection of sophisticated designs that range from toys to art to machine parts. Shapeways has a manufacturing space that contains several 3D printers that fabricate customer designs. Products are sold via a number of different storefronts that each feature a different designer. Consumers select a design from a designer who runs their own online storefront or consumers can make their own design using Shapeway’s proprietary design tools. Shapeways employees offer user support and design advice, if needed. Consumers and designers interact directly if the user has a special request. The more active designers on Shapeways earn several thousand euro a month from selling their designs."

Personal Manufacturing Electronic Blueprint Designers

Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman:

"designers create electronic blueprints for all types of personal fabrication technologies (i.e. CNC routers, laser cutters, sewing machines), the majority of designers focus on 3D printed objects."

* Unfold design studios.

Location: Belgium.

Unfold studios was founded in 2002 by Claire Warnier and Dries Verbruggen. They design and sell a wide variety of contemporary custom-designed and made furniture, household goods and jewelry.

* Nervous System.

URL = http://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com

Location: Massachusetts, United States.

Nervous System was founded in 2007 by Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg. Nervous System 3D prints computer generated designs to produce affordable art, jewelry, and housewares.

* Bathsheba:

URL = http://www.bathsheba.com

Location: California, United States.

Bathsheba Grossman is one of the world’s leading 3D printing designers. She creates sculptures and math models, what she calls “ handheld geometry” out of 3D printed metal." (http://web.mae.cornell.edu/lipson/FactoryAtHome.pdf)

Status

Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman:

"Personal manufacturing is where personal computing was in the 1970s, before the advent of home-scale computers and consumer software. Recent rapid technological advances in personal manufacturing technology, combined with shrinking costs of machines, increasingly available design software and raw manufacturing materials, plus most peoples’ tendency to conduct more daily activities online, are tipping personal fabrication from the realm of hobbyists and pioneers to the mainstream." (http://web.mae.cornell.edu/lipson/FactoryAtHome.pdf)

Personal Manufacturing

Contents

Description

Example

Tools

Typology of Personal Manufacturing Machines (Hardware)

Desktop 3D Printers

Desktop CNC Routing and Milling Machines

Desktop Laser Cutters and Engravers

Desktop Sewing and Embroidering Machines

Desktop Circuit Makers

Computer-Aided Design Software

CAD Tools

Players

Personal Manufacturing Machine Makers

Personal Manufacturing Companies

Electronic Design Blueprint Aggregators

Personal Manufacturing Electronic Blueprint Designers

Status

Directory

Architecture and Design

Clothing

Electronics

Food

Manufacturing

Publishing

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