Author: Robert Schouwenburg

Impact of 3D printing on supply chain

If 3D printing becomes mainstream, I expect it will have a major impact on many aspects of manufacturing and design processes. This is a first post in series of posts on what impact 3D printing can have. Today, I am writing about the impact on supply chain.

Fit for purpose and personalized products

An interesting aspect of design in relation to personal fabrication and customized design is fit for purpose. How do you determine a product is good enough for its intended purpose? And who is responsible that a product you buy is fit for the purpose you intended?

The internet community needs to deal with policy making

A massive protest against SOPA was launched on the Internet during the congressional hearings. The protest was successful and the passing was postponed. But it also received criticism from politicians. Just saying NO is not helping. They wondered how the text should be changed to make it acceptable for the Internet community. I think it is a valid criticism.

Wall thickness, feature size and structural strength for 3D printing

3D printing gives a lot of freedom for the designer. But even with 3D printing has limitations to what a 3D printer can produce. These limitations are inherent to a specific 3D printing process. In this post, I go into one of these limitations which is structural strength.

Key factors of online creation for 3D printing

The last couple of posts, I wrote about several factors, which I consider as key success factors for online creation in the context of 3D printing. The key success factors work together as a system. This post is a summary of these posts.

Open-ended vs closed-ended online creation

One of factors for online creation is open-ended versus closed-ended creation of products. It is important to choose the right direction for your product. There are pros and cons to both directions.

Immediate context & online creation

An important aspect of the online creation process is immediate context. People need to immediately grasp the context on how a particular concept applies to them. They need to be able to understand how to use it and what they can do with it. Even when it is only at a superficial level.

Killer application for 3D printing

When I first showed the web — using mosaic — to my mom and dad, they looked at me and had no clue what I was talking about. None. You could argue that the web is the killer application of the Internet. What's the killer application for 3D printing?

Product relevancy for 3D printing

On a regular basis, I hear people telling me that they do not know what to make with a 3D printer. There is a lot of talk about the killer application for 3D printing. But how you look at it, it comes down to making things — making products. The challenge for 3D printing is to what you make relevant.

Lack of frictionless creation with 3D printing

One of the major barriers for the success of personal fabrication is the ability to create or modify 3D models on your own. The current generation of 3D design tools are not easy to use, and require a substantial amount of investment of personal time to master. For real enthusiasts and hobbyists, this is not […]