I Went Inside the Factory for the Insane Printer Everyone's Talking About [video]

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5 points·robomartin··3 comments

Excellent video.

The part that might not be obvious to many is that this is impossible to manufacture in the west (US or Europe in particular).

I doubt even 5% of the component and materials supply chain exists in the west, particularly in a form that would make that minimal supply chain economically viable to build anything like this.

"Right behind the camera is the guy who designed this part and the entire jig".

This really important to understand! Engineers can't design good hardware products entirely from a cozy cubicle. It's necessary to intimately understand how the parts are made and assembled. The notion of putting design and manufacturing an ocean apart is madness. It's probably why my "Designed by Kitchenaid, St. Joseph Michigan USA" electric kettle keeps breaking under warranty.

Manufacturing engineering is just as important as the design and engineering of the product itself. While one can --and many do-- design products away from where they will be manufactured, for anything that isn't trivial there's a need to make a serious investment of time and resources at the factory. Quality, durability and reliability derive from the entire process, not just design.

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