Distributed Manufacturing: A High-Level Node-Based Concept for Open Source Hardware Production

Abstract

Distributed manufacturing is presented as a means to enable sustainable production and collaboration. Rather than rely on centralised production, distributed manufacturing promises to improve the flexibility and resilience to meet urgent production demands. New frameworks of production, based on manufacturing models with distributed networks, may provide functional examples to industrial practice. This paper discusses efforts in distributed production in the context of Free/Open source hardware and devises a conceptual framework for future pilots at which open source machines, such as a desktop 3D printer, may be manufactured in a network of open/fab lab nodes.