From the course: Additive Manufacturing: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

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Distributed manufacturing in emergencies: Lessons learned

Distributed manufacturing in emergencies: Lessons learned

From the course: Additive Manufacturing: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

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Distributed manufacturing in emergencies: Lessons learned

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- For nearly a decade, people have imagined lessening dependence on centralized manufacturing. The idea is to replace physical distribution with digital distribution, and on demand printing is attempting analogy to personal computers, where everyone would have a small cheap 3D printer at home to make things. That vision never quite caught on because of materials challenges and the burden on the user, compared to just ordering something. During the COVID-19 pandemic though, possibilities of home manufacturing really came into their own. Suddenly supply chains were broken as factories had to shut down, or transportation was not available keep supplies of parts flowing. The normal supply chain for Personal Protective Equipment was stretch beyond its capacity. Equipment was also needed in unusual places. There's an immediate desire by many people with 3D printers to create that equipment, but there were…

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