Minifacturing

From Gothpoodle

This technology has partially replaced conventional brick-and-mortar distribution and retailing with “print on demand” goods. It is also one reason why small space colonies and moon bases are economically viable.

The basis of minifacturing is advanced 3D printing. The first printers laid down a single 2D layer of ink on a sheet of paper. The new 3D devices deposit a wide variety of materials (such as liquid plastic, conductive and resistive ceramics, metal powders, powder-epoxy composites, or self-assembling nanostructures) in a 3D matrix, treating them with glue, heat, or laser sintering.

The process begins with a digital map of the object’s geometry (generated by a computer-aided design program or digitized from an actual object by a 3D scanner). The design is then broken into volume pixel matrices that specify exactly which material the printer should deposit at each point in the design. The 3D printer then prints layer after layer until the real 3D object is formed.

3D printers are able to produce very complex or durable materials (often lighter or stronger than those produced by conventional casting or forging), since it is simple for the layering process to arrange the microstructure of materials for maximum strength. If necessary, larger objects can also be made from multiple smaller modules, laser-cut to shape and welded or glued together. Although a multipurpose 3D printer can be expensive, the primary operating cost is licensing the software. The creation of complicated devices (such as a modern computer) requires programs of high complexity, as their construction can require hundreds of thousands (or more) of individual layers.