I donāt think they are changing manufacturing. I think they already did. Gcode and CNC have been around since the 50s. 3D printing started in the 80s. The biggest difference now is that it is affordable and accessible. Software plays a big role in all that too.
I think the home based machines we are all talking about have made the most impact by allowing rapid prototyping, followed up by leveling up the āgarageā shop abilities.
What I am hoping has happened is this has increased the amount of shops out there. The more people we have looking at a problem, the better a solution comes out if it, hive mind.
For me in the āhome basedā shop it has allowed me to produce many more things at a much cleaner / more accurate scale than I ever could before. Can I build things without the CNC or 3d printer? Sure. But that takes a lot more time usually and my patients level doesnāt always allow for a near as clean approach lol.
It has also pushed me to learn CAD which lets me see the project before I ever build it, letting me see where I need to make changes and all before its half way done and something doesnāt fit or work right.
As an exampleā¦ I built this yesterday. In less than an hour from the boss saying āthis is what I wantā. I was able to draw it in onshape and get āboss approvalā for the design, throw the parts on the LR4 and cut them while the Primo laser cut the 2 thin side panels. Little glue and some pin nails and it was done! To get something the same quality would have taken me much longer without the CNC for sure.
Its a āLap deskā for her to set her iPad on and use in the bed.
Software has the ability to create something and then transmit it across the world for zero cost, instantly.
3D printing and CNC have a similar feature set, but in the physical world.
I donāt think we have seen the final metamorphosis of at home manufacturing. So much of our world is crafted to meet the machines where they work. Our houses, food, clothes, tools and toys are all designed to be made by mass production. When things escape and the production comes to us, and we can share physical things the way we share ideas, the world will be unrecognizable.
I really think we will move into a world where solutions are minimal, precise, and custom. But that may just be where I want to go. I donāt want a collection of stanley cups. I would rather have a tool wall with the tools I need easy to reach. I can make that with my home shop.
Agreed. I really think this is just barely the beginning.
The field is still so young and 3d printing is only just starting to be picked up āfor realā in industry (hard to get over the perception its only for prototyping, it seems) and research let alone the rep rap side of thingsā¦ which sadly a lot of the industry guys donāt care about, I found. It was why I didnāt stay in the field post degree.
I think the fact Iāve been able to use a 3d printer to build a CNC router (from plans from across the world) is utterly bonkers and itās also unlocked something in my head about the power of the tools I already have. Not only to make more tools but to produce solutions.
Workshop scale laser sintering might be a next big thingā¦ I donāt see it ever reaching the ease of use of FDM (my resin printer mostly sits unused because I canāt be arsed dealing with the mess. SLS is worse in a lot of ways!) but I think it might well be worth it for the crazy mechnical properties and geometries we can haveā¦
You can see the impact of greater access to CNC all over the custom manufacturing world - I am pretty tired of seeing branding cut into every bit of fabricated steel ābecause we canā.
I think the real impact of both on industry is that there is no longer a need to keep stock, nor a vast range of parts - many things can be quickly made to order. I suspect that Printables are only at the beginning of their cooperation with brands.
On the home front, I am constantly making replacement things, and yes, even packaging for them, and of course once drawn, thereās minimal time needed to actually āmakeā. Can you feel my constistent state of astonishment?
Hereās a tiny sample of things made over the last few months, I try to share them on Printables, but I am months behind!
Replacement game tokens in bespoke box
Replacement caravan window levers packaged in custom sized āXā box
Photography lighting "snoot
Out of production curtain glides
Sewing Machine Repair
Kids weaving needle, made in a few minutes to entertain the smallest grandchildren.
A few years ago - none of that would have been possible with replacements out of production.
I think we are just at the tip of the iceberg especially with countries reindustrializing and in general the birthrate decline. What were standard industrial practices just wonāt work in the new world.