Reversing the Trend of Large Scale and Centralization in Manufacturing: The Case of Distributed Manufacturing of Customizable 3-D-Printable Self-Adjustable Glasses

Abstract

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.

High-Efficiency Solar-Powered 3-D Printers for Sustainable Development

“…Families can print customized items for personal use, their community, or for income generation [50]. For example, communities can print critical products such as eye glasses [19]. When made locally, they will be affordable to many resulting in reduction of vision problems in the developing world and promoting access to education [19].…”

“…For example, communities can print critical products such as eye glasses [19]. When made locally, they will be affordable to many resulting in reduction of vision problems in the developing world and promoting access to education [19]. They can also print parts to build more RepRap printers, or/and replacement parts for existing machines.…”

Distributed Manufacturing of Flexible Products: Technical Feasibility and Economic Viability

“…Distributed manufacturing is the term used here to describe decentralized fabrication of parts in smaller factories or homes that are local to end-users [12,13,69,[79][80][81][82][83]. This concept is ideal for additive manufacturing as 3-D printers located around the globe could be utilized to make a variety of parts for people that are geographically close to consumers.…”

“…In the not so distant past economies of scale provided consumers with more convenient and lower-priced goods than what they could make themselves [8]. However, starting in the early 2000's a wave of publications have argued that distributed manufacturing with 3-D printing can reduce costs for consumers [9][10][11][12][13]. The mainstream view of 3-D printing is that of a less centralized model of manufacturing, where 3-D printing businesses manufacture and sell products to consumers or other businesses [14].…”

Open Source 3-D Printed Nutating Mixer

“…This trend in cost savings from 90-99% is seen in a wide variety of open hardware tools for science and their outputs [5,6,11,12]. Moreover, the open source design platform has provided the opportunity for distributed manufacturing [14][15][16][17][18]-specifically to download the designs and print them anywhere at any time, which can provide additional savings from avoided shipping costs as well as various taxes and tariffs. These savings are perhaps most stark when distributed manufacturing using 3-D printing (which enables material minimization coupled to free complexity) is tied to some form of automation.…”