CNC Router Owners--Looking To Expand Your Client Base?

[Dave Richards]

the keynote address at SketchUp 3D Basecamp last week was given by Nick Ierodiaconou, a London based designer 00 and OpenDesk. One of the things he talked about was open source furniture designed to be made locally. The idea is instead of ordering furniture made on the other side of the planet, people could order from local makers. The OpenDesk site offers files for furniture designed to be made from sheet materials.

This local maker thing really isn't new to those of us who make fine furniture. That's the way we've been doing it for years. But for the "flat pack market", this is rather new. Instead of going to Wally World to buy furniture, folks might be able to have someone in their own community make it for them with the opportunity for customization and personalization. For those with the equipment, it might be worth looking into becoming a linked maker.

I doodled out a quickie model of this desk from the catalog by importing the downloaded CAD file into SketchUp and converting it to 3D.


Note: I have no affiliation with OpenDesk and I'm not selling anything.

 

[mkepke]

Dave (or anyone else) -what's the 'value add' for the local maker in this scenario ?

The US package system is ridiculously efficient so buying local would seem to improve neither the cost, nor the convenience of a flat-pack product.

Selling on the strength of being a "local" maker hasn't saved much less grown many industries, excluding the farm-to-table movement. Not sure how you replicate that with MDF.

-Mark

 

[Hmerkle]

That is pretty cool Dave - do you know if anyone is already doing this? (anywhere in the world?)
Is anyone here in the states doing it?

 

[Berta]

That would especially be usefull for packaging and shipping or for easy set up and tear down for people that must move quite a bit, like our military family's here.

 

[Hmerkle]

I was actually thinking of knock-down finishing tables, saw horses etc.

I would think there is a home improvement market, contractor market etc... maybe?

I like the military aspect too... desk, bookshelves.... on and on!

 

[smallboat]

two advantages off the top of my head would be-
A) give consumers access to designs that don't meet the mass appeal required to satisfy the demands of the big box chains.
B) opportunities for customization which Dave mentions. I'm a little skeptical of this one as the CNC operator would potentially have to spend some time to make the changes and would be trying to recoup it on a one off. there would/could be a big difference between the cost of running a stock design and one that had to be tweaked.

C) opportunity to have the furniture constructed from higher quality materials than typical flat pack MDF and particle board.
D) finish of choice

(ok that was more than 2)

Downside- I would want there to be some sort of vetting process in place before I committed to make something for a client based on a design by someone else.
I've had mixed success at best using downloaded designs. That could be a real nightmare.

 

[Dave Richards]

Hank, take a look at the OpenDesk site. You can see a list of makers there. There's one listed in Winston-Salem. Maybe worth contacting them to see what they have to say.

Smallboat, you're right about meeting a need for consumers. I think the whole thing is in its infancy but it will grow. As to vetted designs, I think that's part of the point of the OpenDesk site. If you take a look there, you can that the designs they offer have all been built already. I used SketchUp to put together the desk I showed above from the CNC file I downloaded there. I didn't change any dimensions--just made the parts 3D and assembled them. They all fit just fine. When you download a package from them there's a little test file you can use to cut some sample pieces to make sure everything fits together correctly.

As to making customized furniture, it seems like a fairly straightforward thing if you model it in 3D and generate the files for cutting from that model. It isn't very difficult to do--SketchUp is more than capable in that realm.

 

[mkepke]

I don't disagree with anything Smallboat says, but a "local" maker isn't required to deliver any of those advantages. A centralized producer may be better positioned to offer mass customization due to economies of scale - such as building a user-friendly UI to allow customers to select options as well as price, pay/finance and ship/delivery options.

At the far end of the spectrum, think Shapeways for 3D printing. They have commoditized a manufacturing process that is far more complex than CNC'd sheetgoods.

-Mark

 

[SubGuy]

After doing some research a few month back (not professional research by any means), it seems CNC by itself is no longer an option. I think very shortly parts manufacturing will be moved from the large foundries and factories of old to smaller scale operations consisting of CNC, Robotics, Automated Delivery and most importantly 3D Printing. I was witness to a top of the line printer from a defense contractor. They were able to produce a working complex assembly that was ready to go within 12hrs of hitting start. Accuracy was .00005" if I remember correctly. This idea may be the future that Dave has presented. Think of the work Amazon is doing with automated UAV delivery. Think of how small a 3D printer can be and how fast and efficient robotics and CNC can be when combined. Local makers may be less of the type we are now, but they may be the next generation of franchises that replace the large centralized distribution facility and manufacturing hub.

 

[Hmerkle]

After doing some research a few month back (not professional research by any means), it seems CNC by itself is no longer an option. I think very shortly parts manufacturing will be moved from the large foundries and factories of old to smaller scale operations consisting of CNC, Robotics, Automated Delivery and most importantly 3D Printing. I was witness to a top of the line printer from a defense contractor. They were able to produce a working complex assembly that was ready to go within 12hrs of hitting start. Accuracy was .00005" if I remember correctly. This idea may be the future that Dave has presented. Think of the work Amazon is doing with automated UAV delivery. Think of how small a 3D printer can be and how fast and efficient robotics and CNC can be when combined. Local makers may be less of the type we are now, but they may be the next generation of franchises that replace the large centralized distribution facility and manufacturing hub.

Soon we will say: "Remember when..."

That is why you must be accepting of technology - what we see today may not be how it unfolds in the future - but changes WILL happen.

15 years ago I was asked if I would be a test guinea pig for a new thing called an electronic wallet...
Never happened - now I can pay starbucks with my phone - similar technology... but the original idea never panned out...

Who would have thought you would have a piece of drawing software that you could use personally for free!? (Not me - I shelled out $125 for one of the first versions of Autocad - and I could draw faster with a pencil and a piece of paper!) but I was learning - that was the cost of admission.

Where was I going with this? dunno....

 

[chris_goris]

After doing some research a few month back (not professional research by any means), it seems CNC by itself is no longer an option. I think very shortly parts manufacturing will be moved from the large foundries and factories of old to smaller scale operations consisting of CNC, Robotics, Automated Delivery and most importantly 3D Printing. I was witness to a top of the line printer from a defense contractor. They were able to produce a working complex assembly that was ready to go within 12hrs of hitting start. Accuracy was .00005" if I remember correctly. This idea may be the future that Dave has presented. Think of the work Amazon is doing with automated UAV delivery. Think of how small a 3D printer can be and how fast and efficient robotics and CNC can be when combined. Local makers may be less of the type we are now, but they may be the next generation of franchises that replace the large centralized distribution facility and manufacturing hub.

3D printing has a LONG way to go before it could ever be used for more than a model to actually look at and hold in your hands. The materials currently available for parts is not production intent. The machines have very small working envelopes as well. Not to mention they are terribly slow. One day maybe, The technology is emerging but not at a very fast rate.

 

[SubGuy]

There are people in the defense industry that would disagree with you. When making parts in the lower range of needs (numbers and structural integrity), technology is quickly getting there. I can't get specific because it was a proprietary demonstration and I had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. We are actually looking into the capability of parts used for training that would normally be very expensive, but since it doesn't have to meet the mil-specs for a training application, it is ideal and cost effective. As far as scale goes, I assure you they are getting big in some development departments. But in the interim this is what the private sector is doing with 3D Printing. So to say it is a long way off is incorrect unless by long you mean in the next few months. Then I would agree with you. In 10 years, it will be a staple in manufacturing especially in the low volume industries.

3D printing has a LONG way to go before it could ever be used for more than a model to actually look at and hold in your hands. The materials currently available for parts is not production intent. The machines have very small working envelopes as well. Not to mention they are terribly slow. One day maybe, The technology is emerging but not at a very fast rate.

 

[chris_goris]

There are people in the defense industry that would disagree with you. When making parts in the lower range of needs (numbers and structural integrity), technology is quickly getting there. I can't get specific because it was a proprietary demonstration and I had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. We are actually looking into the capability of parts used for training that would normally be very expensive, but since it doesn't have to meet the mil-specs for a training application, it is ideal and cost effective. As far as scale goes, I assure you they are getting big in some development departments. But in the interim this is what the private sector is doing with 3D Printing. So to say it is a long way off is incorrect unless by long you mean in the next few months. Then I would agree with you. In 10 years, it will be a staple in manufacturing especially in the low volume industries.

I didnt say the technology wasnt available. Sintered metal and printed powdered metal has been around a long time. What Im saying is for the average company, ESPECIALLY non military, 3D printers are cost prohibitive today and therefore a very long ways from anyone using them in their home or garage business. And as I mentioned before, they are all still very slow, so any sort of production volume would be out of the question.

 

[SubGuy]

It may be some time before we see quality models available to the public for a reasonable price with respect to metal printing, that I agree. But as with everything, speed comes with maturing technology. I have seen a glimpse into what I would consider fast 3D printing with respect to what we see on Youtube. It gets MUCH faster. Just like the internet was invented by the military years ago and many other common technologies we have today. Think about how slow internet was just 10 years ago compared to today. Consider the speed of processors compared to 10 years ago, or the speed at which the automotive industry can assembly the vastly complex vehicles we drive today compared to Henry Ford's Assembly line. In retrospect, no one of that time could grasp the leaps and bounds we have made in these fields. Discounting their viability in the future to replace current technologies would be akin to Christopher Columbus' neighbor wishing him a happy trip falling off the end of the world.

I didnt say the technology wasnt available. Sintered metal and printed powdered metal has been around a long time. What Im saying is for the average company, ESPECIALLY non military, 3D printers are cost prohibitive today and therefore a very long ways from anyone using them in their home or garage business. And as I mentioned before, they are all still very slow, so any sort of production volume would be out of the question.

 

[chris_goris]

It may be some time before we see quality models available to the public for a reasonable price with respect to metal printing, that I agree. But as with everything, speed comes with maturing technology. I have seen a glimpse into what I would consider fast 3D printing with respect to what we see on Youtube. It gets MUCH faster. Just like the internet was invented by the military years ago and many other common technologies we have today. Think about how slow internet was just 10 years ago compared to today. Consider the speed of processors compared to 10 years ago, or the speed at which the automotive industry can assembly the vastly complex vehicles we drive today compared to Henry Ford's Assembly line. In retrospect, no one of that time could grasp the leaps and bounds we have made in these fields. Discounting their viability in the future to replace current technologies would be akin to Christopher Columbus' neighbor wishing him a happy trip falling off the end of the world.

Zach,
I dont get my information from youtube on this subject. This is the world I live in daily. I work for one of the worlds largest auto makers with VERY deep pockets. I have been around SLA technology and 3D modeling since the late 80s and it hasnt gotten much faster, it certainly hasnt kept up with todays computers as far as speed. The cost/value ratio simply isnt there for anything other than rapid prototype parts. I know they are working on it, but as I said before, these machines are SO expensive, there isnt much market to support and develop them.