Distributed manufacturing

Distributed manufacturing also known as distributed production, cloud producing and local manufacturing is a form of decentralized manufacturing practiced by enterprises using a network of geographically dispersed manufacturing facilities that are coordinated using information technology. It can also refer to local manufacture via the historic cottage industry model, or manufacturing that takes place in the homes of consumers.

Within the maker movement and DIY culture, small scale production by consumers often using peer to peer resources is being referred to as distributed manufacturing. Consumers download digital designs from an open design repository website like Youmagine or Thingiverse and produce a product for low costs through a distributed network of 3D printing services such as 3D Hubs or at home with an open-source 3-D printer such as the RepRap. Distributed manufacturing with distributed generation using solar photovoltaic cells and 3-D printers has been proposed as a means for off-grid rural area residents to manufacture themselves out of poverty. Recent advances in solar-powered 3-D printers have made manufacturing of a wide range of products possible in isolated communities.

An example of such an application are spectacles. As Gwamuri et al. point out that while it is "still not yet feasible to print the lenses (the most critical component of the eyeglasses)" and in current prototypes "only the frames and syringe are printed" and that "aesthetics is another challenge" the "primary cost of the glasses could be reduced to about one dollar for a highly customized/individualized design, which could be printed on site in under an hour" (presumably excluding the lenses) and "it seems clear that other products could benefit from the same approach and that distributed manufacturing can assist in sustainable development, particularly in isolated rural regions".

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