How to be part of the next industrial revolution
What was so great about the last Industrial Revolution? The majority of people don’t realize that it was a technological movement that turned the entire world of manufacturing on its head and laid the foundation of how modern commerce and businesses function. Lucky for you, it’s happening again and we’re right in the middle of it.
Everyone has ideas. The problem is how to turn those ideas into a reality. Fortunately, with the sudden growth in computer programming and the explosion of Silicon Valley, it’s easier than ever to create an app or website. Someone who has never written a line of code can become a wizard behind the keyboard by taking one of the many coding bootcamps on offer. However amazing as it is, they are still trapped in the digital realm. Their products create and deliver information stored on databases but never take physical form.
Welcome to the next industrial revolution. Advancements in tech are providing the same solutions to manufacturing as they did for programming. Remember how clunky computers used to be? Now everyone has a supercomputer in his/her pocket, called smart phones. New manufacturing methods have been created and machines have shrunk to literally fit on your desktop. It’s become more accessible to physically make products previously reserved for large manufacturing plants and produce rapid prototypes like never before.
Quick history lesson: the first Industrial Revolution marked technology’s transition in the landscape of manufacturing from hand tools and basic machines to powered machinery, factories, and mass production. It leveraged technology to mechanize laborious tasks, which multiplied the efficiency of an individual worker and drastically increased the volume of goods produced.
The first Industrial Revolution changed society and the socioeconomic structure. Before, the majority of people lived in rural countrysides, working the land for the landowners and most goods were handmade or created locally. As the Industrial Revolution took place, specialized machinery became increasingly available. A family that once sewed clothing for themselves could now produce multiple garments for sale with the purchase of the Spinning Jenny (an early hallmark of weaving machines).
Technology shifted the power of production to the people and allowed them to gain more control over their lives. The Industrial Revolution saw a migration of people from rural villages to urban city centers for better work and opportunity. As technology disrupted the cycle of land ownership and serfdom in the 1800s, the next industrial revolution will free us from the one-size- fits-all model created by large OEM manufacturers.
Contributing factors for the next Industrial Revolution
As profound as the first Industrial Revolution was, it happened neither randomly nor overnight. Rather, a combination of elements spurred the revolution. Today, the combination of the increasing efficiency of technology, new forms of financing, globalization, and the open source movement will lead us into the next.
One of the most obvious factors is the exponential growth of technology. Electronics have become faster, cheaper, and are becoming a part of everything we do. Sensors are now more sensitive, motors are smaller and more accurate, and software frameworks make wrapping everything together a snap. The vast majority of factory machinery is numerically controlled by computers to provide accuracy and consistency. This growth in tech is shrinking the form factor of these machines, bringing them into your home.
New models of financing and funding projects will also play a role in propelling us into the next revolution. Recently, crowdsourcing platforms, such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, have exploded. Entrepreneurs are now pitching straight to their potential customers for funding rather than big-time investors. This provides a direct channel to receive valuable feedback and ensure the product is market-fit. Crowdsourcing websites have allowed thousands of entrepreneurs to propel their pet-projects towards mass distribution.
Thanks to the internet, crowdsourcing was enabled by an increasingly connected and globalized world. The web created countless niche communities generating needs for very specific products and launched a globalized marketplace. Emerging companies can address this global market instead of being limited to their local community. Communication and feedback flows freely through crowdsourcing platforms, ensuring the wants and needs of both business and customer are aligned.
Last but not least, gone are the days of patent law — open source and creative commons licenses allow for the fastest research and development imaginable. By tapping into the open source community, you have access vast libraries of existing work and additional eyes reviewing, editing, and improving your work along the way. Ideas are being confirmed, challenged, and approached from new angles constantly, resulting in an overall more refined build. Open source communities are extremely supportive and value the education of newcomers so that they may one day give back.
How to get involved
You too can join the revolution. Below are a few of the disciplines that will shape the new landscape of desktop manufacturing.
3D modeling and computer aided design — creating your virtual world
Even though we are focused on creating physical objects, the vast majority of new manufacturing methods are still run by computers. Designs are made digitally through computer aided design (CAD) software, so they can be uploaded, downloaded, edited, and distributed quickly and efficiently. CAD is to designers as Microsoft Word is to writers.
CAD programs, once reserved for large scale manufacturers, can now be found for free online with comprehensive tutorials and supportive communities. A great starting place for beginners is Google SketchUpand Autodesk 123Design. Both provide simplified, digestible introductions into thinking in three dimensions. If you are looking for more technical, professional grade software, Autodesk Fusion 360, Solidworks, OnShape and Inventor are great options.
3D printing — converting bits into atoms
3D printing is the best way to take an idea from your head and put it into your hands. 3D printers have been getting a lot of buzz as they become cheaper, more accurate, and easier to use every year. 3D printers break down digital CAD models into sliced cross sections and then builds them up layer by layer. Home 3D printers typically use various types of plastics as the print medium, however, some printers are able to print with metal.
There are many options to choose from in the current market for 3D printers and a few different types of 3D printing, the two most common being fused deposition modeling (FDM) and stereolithography (SLA). FDM printers use a mechanically controlled heated nozzle that melts and extrudes plastic filament onto a build platform to recreate the model. SLA printers use UV lasers to cure liquid resin into the cross-sectional layers that build up the model. Generally, SLA printers are more expensive than FDM printers, but are more detailed than their FDM counterpart.
3D scanning — converting atoms to back into bits
Scanners reverse the process, allowing you to digitize objects you see in the real world and generate 3D models in the digital one. The resolution and accuracy of scanners are getting better and allows users to easily import objects to their CAD program to be edited or replicated on 3D printers. These are great since you are able to easily modify the objects that surround you versus modeling them from scratch.
Laser cutting — drawing with lasers
Laser cutting is one of the best ways to fabricate 2D designs. These machines use a powerful laser capable of cutting through wood, plastic, and even thin metal. Electric motors control the laser head to trace out a vector image made by programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape. The laser incinerates the material and cuts the design out of the printer’s material.
CNC mills — subtractive manufacturing
It is safe to say that most desktop manufacturing machines are controlled by computers known as CNC (computer numerical control). Computers allow precision motor control used by the machine, resulting in accuracy and repeatability. However, unlike the 3D printers discussed above that are examples of additive manufacturing, CNC mills are examples of subtractive manufacturing. In the same way that a sculptor finds the form of a figure beneath a block of marble, CNC machines cut and grind away material from stock to reveal a part within it. Most CNC machines control a cutting head on three axes (x, y, and z) to cut away a block of material based on the dimensions of the 3D model.
Electronics — making dumb things smarter
You’ve heard the term ‘Internet of Things’ before. Everything around us now uses embedded electronics to make them smarter by connecting them to the internet and controlling them with motors and sensors. This is a powerful tool when combined with desktop manufacturing and is surprisingly easy to get into. Products like the Arduino and Raspberry Pi have endless tutorials and resources online to teach anyone with an interest how to break into the world of electronics.
Manufacturing your dreams
Manufacturing has now shifted from large industries and factories to your desktop. Products no longer have to fit into the one-size-fits-all business model, they can now be customized to the specific liking of the end user.
Today’s 3D printing allows startups to easily and cheaply produce rapid prototypes, iterate through designs and quickly discover what resonates with their target audience. Businesses no longer have to wait on production runs to try out new concepts as the minimum order quantity has effectively been reduced down to one.
The next Industrial Revolution lowers the barrier of entry into manufacturing. It’s never been easier to turn your entrepreneurial dreams into a reality. Thousands of people join the maker movement everyday and you can too. Get started!
