EAGER: Scaled Down Manufacturing

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

This EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) award provides funding for the development of a new paradigm in distributed manufacturing which, if successful, will integrate small and medium-sized American manufacturing facilities into virtual factories which can serve large customers. The concept of a virtual factory is intended on the one hand to leverage the creativity and efficiency of American small manufacturing businesses, and on the other hand, create "a sum that is larger than the parts" virtual enterprise so that American businesses can compete better with the bulk-manufacturing facilities overseas to which the US is losing manufacturing jobs. Many of the tools to enable distributed manufacturing are already in place. For the manufacture of mechanical parts, CAD files are regularly transmitted over the Internet. CAM takes CNC milling machines a step towards printing. 3D printing, meanwhile, takes mechanical manufacturing a lot further towards the printing of form (though not functionality). In the hands of an experienced 21st century manufacturing expert, though these three technologies already enable pieces of distributed manufacturing. Key elements of a truly integrated virtual factory are missing, however. The inspection of parts manufactured in distributed environments remains unscalable. The shipping of parts shipped from distributed locations remains expensive. The proposed research attempts to fill these needs by looking at: low-cost, networked, high-definition CT scanning to enable quality assurance in a truly distributed virtual factory; and low-cost, small-batch shipping by leveraging RFID and flexible warehousing and shipping. In summary, the goal of the research is to fight the tyranny of bulk manufacturing, by leveraging the strengths of small manufacturing shops in the US.