Looking around on my desk I can pick up many objects that reflect the
current marketplace.
Speakers for my computer sound system... Beige, black lettering, plastic
case, metal grid.. color is uniform throughout the case and lettering is
flush on surface...at least to my touch.
Cup for my coffee habit...beige with blue doves, red flowers, and green
leaves, china. Color in china is uniform and color is on surface and fired
into glaze.
I see the same process no matter what the product... it looks like color is
added after the initial manufacturing step. So should we be considering a
secondary process to easily add color to RM products. At present we are
adding color through the same steps as current manufacturing take usually
requiring lots of hand labor.
When I consider how I would change the process to make either the cup or
speakers...how could or would I add the enhancements of lettering or pictures?
If I put the lettering into the speaker data then it would require an
engineering change to switch the function of the knobs. On my cup I could
add a raised design but that data would have to be changed for every
style...lots of data for a "cheap necessity". Will the cost of this data
raise the price of items of necessity? How much will direct manufacturing
add to the cost of items manufactured by this process.
When Mr. Ford established his mass production line...his goal was cheap
affordable transportation for the people. Will DM or RM make products for
the elite or will it ever achieve the cost effectiveness of human mass
production?
What jobs will the masses use to earn money to purchase such items? Or
will it make only the difficult or special devices that currently have
steep prices?
CASE to consider:
How many of us could purchase this chess set that at present costs well
over $100-300 per piece? How will we ever get that price down to $.20-.50
so playing chess could be in every home? We need to ask why that in ten
years we yet to move this technology into 30% of current industry. At this
rate it will take 50 years or more to move current technology into general
use.
Fabbing is a great idea and will eventually be apart of everyday life, but
at what cost both in terms of jobs and dollars? How long much I wait?
Considering the other side,
Elaine
*******************************************************************
Opinions, suggestions, and other controversial matter VOID where prohibited.
******************************************************************
Elaine T. Hunt, Director
Clemson University Laboratory to Advance Industrial Prototyping
206 Fluor Daniel Bldg. Clemson, SC 29643-0925
864-656-0321 (voice) 864-656-4435 (fax)
elaine.hunt@ces.clemson.edu
http://chip.eng.clemson.edu/rp/persall/elaine.html
For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
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