View source for Talk:Virtual designs into physical objects

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Rename page 'Fabricators and matter-compilers'?

Combined section on Computer-controlled flexible manufacturing techniques

Great picture of engine block being milled: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Vertikalbearbeitungszentrum_Hermle_C_30_U.jpg

Fortune magazine article on Gershenfeld: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/11/13/8393124/index.htm

Build your own pcb mill
http://web.mit.edu/kumpf/www/pcbmill.html

Build your own cnc machine
http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/29/how-to-build-your-own-cnc-machine-part-1/

Nanotech as ultimate fabrication system (although not possible yet)

*Mouldings
**Rapid injection mouldings (CNCed low volume, high speed, aluminium injection moulds) - eg. http://www.protomold.co.uk
**Casting from rapid prototyped parts
**Vac forming etc

Loughborough uni automated house building (and decorating) - http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/mm/research/rapid-manufacturing/ - Times article http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1292795.ece

3D scanning

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MeshLab MeshLab]

Even 3D printing of replacement human organs using cells
:http://www.techok.com/quickcast.html
:http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/multimedia/2007/10/body_builders
:http://blogs.zdnet.com/emergingtech/?p=872#more-872

Keywords: Solid freeform fabrication

Metadata associated with designs

Likely that additive fabrication, CNC machining and inkjet printing (for colour, conductive inks, battery chemicals etc) might be combined into a single desktop machine...Mini fab lab.

==What are the limits with size?==
===Large===
*Jigsaw shaped metal pieces that fit together, then welded under computer control - could make extremely strong structures of almost any size.

*Other modular building blocks

===Small===
*EFAB Microfabrica (image - see scan omni) - http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/304204/Thinking+small.htm
*http://www.itg.uiuc.edu/exhibits/iotw/2007-03-13
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEMS MEMS] / Biotechnology
*How is this for high resolution? http://www.physorg.com/news4295.html
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_nanotechnology Molecular nanotechnology]

==3d scanning==
*http://www.david-laserscanner.com

==Other==
Not nano-tech as such, but milli / micro -scale reconfigurable matter. Will be perfect for what rapid prototyping is currently used for, but instead of having to make a new model every time something changes, the model simply morphs to the new shape. Have thought about this concept before but never come to any firm conclusions about how it might be made to work practically. However recently came across this [http://news.zdnet.co.uk/emergingtech/0,1000000183,39287749,00.htm?r=1 video clip] (second half) where Babu Pillai describes his research in this area [http://www.pittsburgh.intel-research.net/people/pillai.html]. [http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~claytronics/movies/carDesign_12_vo_H264.mov Video of concept].

3D printing of tissue and organs: [http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/mg19025474.300?DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=mg19025474.300 NS], [http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2005/12/69701 Wired] , [http://www.primidi.com/2008/03/23.html] and [http://organprint.missouri.edu/www/]

Ponoko

http://www.desktopfactory.com

http://www.mpp.no/intro/intro.htm - Metal Printing Process