Reversing the Trend of Large Scale and Centralization in Manufacturing: The Case of Distributed Manufacturing of Customizable 3-D-Printable Self-Adjustable Glasses
| Autor: | Joshua M. Pearce, Ben T. Wittbrodt, Jephias Gwamuri, Nick C. Anzalone |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | University of Massachusetts [Amherst] (UMass Amherst), University of Massachusetts System (UMASS), Michigan Tech Open Sustainability Laboratory, Michigan Technological University (MTU) |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2014 |
| Předmět: |
jel:D81
jel:Z1 0209 industrial biotechnology Volkswirtschaftstheorie Single product Computer science Economics Geography Planning and Development 02 engineering and technology jel:R4 internationale Wirtschaftsbeziehungen [SPI]Engineering Sciences [physics] 020901 industrial engineering & automation jel:I3 Entwicklungsland lcsh:Environmental sciences Distributed manufacturing lcsh:GE1-350 Global and Planetary Change 3-D printing Ecology jel:Y3 additive layer manufacturing development distributed manufacturing eye care glasses Wirtschaft optische Industrie jel:D78 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Manufacturing engineering [SPI.MECA.GEME]Engineering Sciences [physics]/Mechanics [physics.med-ph]/Mechanical engineering [physics.class-ph] Reversing 0210 nano-technology National Economy optical industry jel:D61 Management Monitoring Policy and Law Produktion Fertigung jel:Q ddc:330 Fertigung Leverage (statistics) Operations management Bespoke Nature and Landscape Conservation Product design Scale (chemistry) developing country jel:D11 jel:D12 jel:O2 jel:D13 jel:O3 jel:O4 Economies of scale manufacturing international economic relations |
| Zdroj: | Challenges in Sustainability Challenges in Sustainability, Librello, 2014, 2 (1), ⟨10.12924/cis2014.02010030⟩ Challenges in Sustainability, Vol 2, Iss 1, Pp 30-40 (2014) |
| ISSN: | 2297-6477 |
| DOI: | 10.12924/cis2014.02010030⟩ |
| Popis: | International audience; Although the trend in manufacturing has been towards centralization to leverage economies of scale, the recent rapid technical development of open-source 3-D printers enables low-cost distributed bespoke production. This paper explores the potential advantages of a distributed manufacturing model of high-value products by investigating the application of 3-D printing to self-refraction eyeglasses. A series of parametric 3-D printable designs is developed, fabricated and tested to overcome limitations identified with mass-manufactured self-correcting eyeglasses designed for the developing world's poor. By utilizing 3-D printable self-adjustable glasses, communities not only gain access to far more diversity in product design, as the glasses can be customized for the individual, but 3-D printing also offers the potential for significant cost reductions. The results show that distributed manufacturing with open-source 3-D printing can empower developing world communities through the ability to print less expensive and customized self-adjusting eyeglasses. This offers the potential to displace both centrally manufactured conventional and self-adjusting glasses while completely eliminating the costs of the conventional optics correction experience, including those of highly-trained optometrists and ophthalmologists and their associated equipment. Although, this study only analyzed a single product, it is clear that other products would benefit from the same approach in isolated regions of the developing world. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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