Generally the system has things cut and dried – you sell your labour and spend the money you earn to buy other things.  But how about if you could break out of the mould and become a producer?  We’ve already discussed growing your own food (more on that to come soon), but how about manufacturing too?  Read on to find out more about digital fabrication.

Once having a computer on your desktop would be laughable (since they filled an air conditioned room), but technology has moved on.  Similarly, now desktop machining centres are available for home use, or with digital fabrication, you can design something on your computer, send off the files and have it laser cut for you at a remote factory and sent to your home.   You no longer need to own a factory with a million dollar computerised milling machine or plasma cutter.

You’ll need to develop design skills and be able to design what you want on your computer.  Most fabricators accept standard files from CAD (Computer Aided Design) software such as 3D Studio Max (typically STL files).  CNC (computer numerical controlled) tools are computer controlled and will automatically machine or cut your design from a selected material.

You need not restrict yourself to items for you own use, you can also manufacture at home and sell either your designs (for others to have items fabricated from at the remote factory), or sell the actual items.

One site is Etsy.  This specialises in hand crafted goods.  There is a strong demand for these from people who want something unique and different.  If you are a small manufacturer of custom items, this is a marketplace you can use to sell what you make. You can even ask for someone to design and manufacture a one-off item for you.

Ponoko provide remote factory facilities.  You can design an item from several materials (typically sheets of wood or plastic) and have them laser cut, and then shipped out to you.  One unique feature is the ability to sell your designs though their marketplace.

eMachineShop offers a range of fabrication techniques such as CNC machining, water jet cutters, plasma cuts, laser cutters, lathes, casting and plastic injection moulding.  So they can remotely manufacture virtually any item you can design and ship it out to you for final assembly.  This fabricator provides full industrial manufacturing facilities, accessible to the ordinary person.

If you want to machine items from soft metals, wood, casting wax or plastic, Roland DG manufacture a line of desktop or benchtop CNC milling machines.  These can produce an output directly from a CAD file and are suitable for low volume manufacturing and prototyping.

So you need not simply work in a job then be restricted to being a consumer.  You can also produce items and have them manufactured for your final assembly and for sale to the growing number of people who want something different and unique.

Here is a lamp I designed using a 3D design tool, ready for manufacturing.  It comprises multiple petals (machined separately from clear purple perspex then glued together) that connect to a central core with a light underneath.

Please add your comments on this article so that I can determine whether this topic interests readers or not.  I’d like to hear from you!

Tags: how to regain your freedom, independence, subversive

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 20th, 2010 at 10:42 pm and is filed under Daily subversive tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.