
MakerBot is pioneering distributed manufacturing - ph0rque
http://blog.makerbot.com/2009/08/06/makerbot-is-pioneering-distributed-manufacturing-get-paid-to-make-parts-for-future-makerbots/
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kqr2
How does one maintain quality? To go beyond a single part, they will probably
need to do geometric tolerancing to account for all the component variations.
Also, distributed manufacturing may not be as efficient.

Mao actually experimented with "crowdsourced" manufacturing in his Great Leap
Forward. To boost steel production:

 _Mao encouraged the establishment of small backyard steel furnaces in every
commune and in each urban neighborhood_

The results were low quality steel and probably lots of environmental damage.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Leap_Forward>

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asmithmd1
They know the capabilities of the machine that will produce the part.

It is a misunderstanding of the process to think that slapping geometric
tolerances on a drawing will change the part. If the process specified
produces the desired part within tolerance then there is no need to specify it
further. If the process can not produce the part reliably then adding
tolerances to a drawing is not going to help. They do mention the one
functional specification they need -a press fit into a bearing

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kqr2
Although they do a press-fit test, what about the outside dimensions? What
about material quality? The purpose of geometric tolerancing a design is so
that when you assemble all the pieces together with varying tolerances, you
have a good chance that it will all fit together.

I've worked with machines with stepper motors in the past and they can get out
of alignment.

Don't get me wrong. I think the whole maker movement is really cool. I'm just
saying that manufacturing a quality product is not easy.

I'm even thinking about buying one, however, if I bought a kit and the pieces
didn't fit together very well, that would be frustrating.

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jacquesm
If you think this is cool check these guys out: <http://reprap.org/>

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mbrubeck
MakerBot and RepRap have a lot of overlap in ideas and people. MakerBot
founder Zach Smith is a long-time RepRap contributor and also runs the RepRap
Research Foundation (<http://www.rrrf.org/>). MakerBot's "Cupcake CNC"
fabricator is based on RepRap hardware and software. MakerBot also sells
RepRap parts in their store.

The two projects are both contributing to each other, for example just today:
[http://blog.reprap.org/2009/08/one-of-my-partners-at-
makerbo...](http://blog.reprap.org/2009/08/one-of-my-partners-at-makerbot-
adam.html)

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pclark
I'm amazed these guys haven't got more press for what they're doing.

It's one of the most futuristic things I've seen. Crazy.

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Readmore
I love the MakerBot guys and I can't wait to grab one of these machines for
myself. As soon as I can justify the price ;)

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Zaak
I'm in the same boat. I'd love to have one of these, but the price is pretty
high for a recreational gadget.

