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The Future of manufacturing

The future of manufacturing is evolving at an unprecedented rate and in unanticipated ways, explains Dr Julie Madigan, Chief Executive of the Manchester-based Manufacturing Institute.

Something akin to a “quiet revolution” is now taking place within manufacturing. And these advancements are shaping the future of the sector in innumerable positive ways. It’s my belief that we’ll be living in world which is defined by what can be described as ‘boutique manufacturing’ within a very short time.

We are on the brink of an age – if we’ve not reached it already - when technological developments will empower people to manufacture for themselves those items that they feel would improve or enhance their lives.

And this empowerment will occur regardless of where they live in the world and whether they have been through a higher education system.

Intrinsically linked to this whole process is a rediscovery of both the creative enjoyment as well as the personal satisfaction that result from physically making things.

Britain is a nation of ‘tinkerers’ who enjoy nothing more than vanishing off to the garden shed to invent something – or improve on what’s already been made.

And this instinct can now be taken to the next level thanks to the rise of the internet’s ability to foster and promote this creative instinct among people who want to make things.

Logistically, I acknowledge that it may prove difficult for private individuals to manufacture from scratch highly complicated items - like aeroplanes - but this current fact shouldn’t diminish people’s ambition!

One of the major reasons why there’s an increasing move towards ‘boutique’ local manufacturing is because of the software and hardware that are now at people’s fingertips to help. And one big way we’re witnessing this boutique approach emerging is through the UK’s Fab Lab network.

The Manufacturing Institute introduced digital ‘fabrication laboratories’ to the UK three years ago with support from their instigators, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). We established Britain’s first Fab Lab in Manchester in 2011 and the concept has since blossomed to the point where there will soon be 15 Labs spread across the UK – with more in the pipeline.

Fab Labs promote grassroots innovation - providing people of all ages and from all walks of life with the opportunity to walk in off the street and turn their concepts and ideas into reality. They’re places where almost anyone can design and make almost anything . There’s a wealth of manufacturing expertise available as well as a wide variety of digital and practical equipment – including 3D printers, laser and vinyl cutters and milling machinery, – to make these ideas reality. Members of the public have free use of the Fab Lab during the open sessions, but businesses and entrepreneurs also use the facilities to produce product prototypes, test out ideas or overcome any manufacturing quandary they’re facing. Companies also use the facilities for team building days.

While public users are expected to share their inventions with the global Fab Lab network, businesses can pursue their innovations in private and cost effectively, without the necessity to invest in equipment themselves.

Since Fab Lab Manchester was founded, we’ve witnessed first-hand both the desire that exists among the public to manufacture products that matter to them as well as the creativity that’s at the heart of this process.

Among the many successes to date has been the Nifty MiniDrive. This device allows anyone to increase the storage space of their MacBook computer by inserting the drive into the SD (secure digital) card slot. Piers Ridyard , a 24-year-old entrepreneur had the idea and subsequently turned to Fab Lab Manchester for assistance in testing its feasibility. Fab Lab’s 3D printers allowed Piers to design and manufacture the first prototype and Nifty is expected to be available in shops later this year.

The only issue with this innovation is that whilst the idea originated here, and the prototype and the business model were developed at Fab Lab, the manufacture of this product is done in China. This is our next challenge - to get UK manufacturers aligned to the well of ideas and innovation that is attracted to the Fab Labs. This is why it is so crucial to unleash a modern industrial revolution that will permit the UK supply base to re-energise itself.

In addition to inventions like this - which have global appeal and relevance – many Fab Labbers are creating one-off bespoke products that help them as they go about their daily lives. These include devices that assist people with physical impairment, enabling them to undertake everyday kitchen chores like opening cans which had previously proved tricky for them. Other products include clocks and musical instruments, an MP3 toothbrush, and a 3d printer - made by one of our 83 year-old enthusiasts.

Since the first Fab Lab was established in Manchester two years ago, we’ve had more than 2,500 people through the doors to discover more about making things for themselves.

The potential for this growing network to engage and inspire hundreds of thousands of budding manufacturers within a short period of time is now a reality.

What’s more, there’s a new generation of young people visiting the network who are being given the opportunity to discover for themselves how creatively satisfying the whole manufacturing process is.

The speed with which the Fab Labs have spread nationwide, the success of the products that are getting manufactured in them, and people’s sheer enthusiasm for the whole concept, are all indicative of the way that the manufacturing sector is evolving.

By making what we need locally – with minimum or no waste – a new model for manufacturing is emerging. As such, this ‘boutique approach’ is gaining momentum.

It’s helped to a great extent by a new generation of people who are fluent in IT and who don’t see there being any distinction or divisions between software and hardware. Most importantly, they aren’t afraid of having a go at making things for themselves.

At a time when there’s broad consensus that the British economy needs to be rebalanced in favour of manufacturing, our “quiet revolution” couldn’t be taking place at a better time.

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This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by The Manufacturing Institute .