In the years ahead, energy prices will increase. So, it may make sense to produce small plastic items such as replacement parts locally rather than ordering those items from distant places. To explore the idea of re-localization, AuburnSIG has partnered with the
Syracuse Innovation Guild to build a
MakerBot kit. Once it is put together, the hope is that a machine could make small plastic parts on demand. That would potentially save energy, packaging and ordering time for plastic items. One use might be for making replacement parts for items that currently are not cost effective to repair.
The parts produced by these printers may not be as stylish as true injection mold but they can function quite well. For example, the black part is not as smooth as it's original on the left, but it is built heavier. Read
a story about a person who used just such a machine to produce this part for his dishwasher. There is also
this youtube video about another home repair that was done with a makerbot. The areas of open-source OS systems, 3-d printing and renewable materials give hope that our technological infrastructure can be maintained in the years ahead in spite of declining energy resources and economic problems.
In the years ahead, energy prices will increase. So, it may make sense to produce small plastic items such as replacement parts locally rather than ordering those items from distant places. To explore the idea of re-localization, AuburnSIG has partnered with the Syracuse Innovation Guild to build a MakerBot kit. Once it is put together, the hope is that a machine could make small plastic parts on demand. That would potentially save energy, packaging and ordering time for plastic items. One use might be for making replacement parts for items that currently are not cost effective to repair.
The parts produced by these printers may not be as stylish as true injection mold but they can function quite well. For example, the black part is not as smooth as it's original on the left, but it is built heavier. Read a story about a person who used just such a machine to produce this part for his dishwasher. There is also this youtube video about another home repair that was done with a makerbot. The areas of open-source OS systems, 3-d printing and renewable materials give hope that our technological infrastructure can be maintained in the years ahead in spite of declining energy resources and economic problems.
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