Forums/Discussions/General discussions
Guess what's next for Personal Factory
Josh Judkins
posted this on April 27, 2011 17:22
Back in November of last year Ponoko launched Personal Factory 4 - enabling you to make products using laser-cutting and/or 3D printing, and the capacity to combine them with open source electronics as well.
Since then we've been busy adding more exciting features to your Personal Factory behind the scenes - and we'll soon be unleashing Personal Factory 5.
If you'd like to take a guess at what might be included in those new features, post a reply here on the forums and you could win a $50 digital making voucher - you don't need to get it right to win, just speculate!
Comments
I am pondering a PCM process for metals with exciting smaller gauge metals! Fluorescent acrylics in pink and blue! Sterling silver for 3D printing! Ability to send a photo of anything to the Ponoko team and the automagically created it for you in 3D!
I'd love to see thin gauge spring steel as a 2D stock.
Custom circuit board printing would rock.
Fabric would rock.
CNC?
I think it is CNC. Router? Mill? Lathe?
Custom molecular nano-printing. Shipping would be cheap!
You can make things out of man-flesh so that we could make our own frankenstien or "the Blob"? TShirt design will be able to be laser cut making spectacular designy holes in a new tshirt? You'll be able to get things printed in ink as an additional service after you get it cut so there's less assembly time at the designers end so that we can spend more time on designing things than making them for clients? You can etch onto metal panels now?
FABRIC! idealy custom fabric that I can supply. I.E hand felted merino wool in the design of my own making, cut into my own designs. Fabrics that have been hand painted by myself, cut into pieces for my art works and garments. Templates for standard garments, for example slippers, that can be customised by having designs laser cut into the leather etc.
while I realise the proses becomes less automatic, having the ability to supply Ponoko with
hand made materials would really rock!
Ooo ooo! Engravings on soap and chocolate!
MMMmmmmm Chocolate! hey, the 3d printer could make molds right? why not add casting materials/system too...maybe not chocolate, but perhaps resin?
*cough* "Why yes! I did want you to send me a P2 size sheet of chocolate. Yes, it's for my er...ah.."client"..."
Laser etched bacon! (I just want to see a P3 sized sheet of bacon.)
I'd really like access to the US materials. The NZ ones seem lagging behind. Also the electronics. i've got an idea to make using Sparkfun components but I don't want the US shipping issues. Lets hope PF5 also allows this...
Here's hoping for larger sheets of 2d material - I've always thought it a shame that we couldn't make larger table tops, etc without figuring out how to connect smaller sheets together.
(And somehow, I just discovered the metal materials for 2d... ooh! Some thicker metals would be nice - maybe that's in PF5 too...)
File storage online would be awesome, so that we don’t need to reupload the same file if we want to remake something.
New factories in the Asian region would be awesome too!
I was going to guess custom PCBs, but now I think I'm going to have to second Mark's idea xD P3 Bacon sheet all the way!
More material types including stainless steel and carbon fiber
Cut to length rod.... PLEASE! Of and a ton more tinted acrylic colors.
-Ultra high detail wax prints (Solidscape), with the option of casting silver or gold
-Multi-material 3D prints
-Automatic hollowing of our models for 3D printing!!
A relationship with companies such as Autodesk to make design even more democratic and accessible.
New printing materials- solidscape printers would be amazing
3d printing at all of the hubs
Maybe P4, P5, P6 size materials?
A new, easy to use, free 3D software?
Printers with ESP, so we can think of an idea, and BAM!!!! The printer receives it telepathically and prints it!!!!!
Tass1414, I like how you think!!!
- polycarbonate cutting
- faster making time
- PCB manufacture with BatchPCB
Big - a bigger, more powerful laser to cut metals faster. Less time to cut = less $$$.
123D from Autodesk to make it easier to produce 3D models for 3D printing
DXF files for use by everone, not just Prime accounts!
3D Printed molds for making our own plastics would be amazing!
Also, CNC machining on thicker metal/plastic options
Oh, Andrew Pearce must be right about 123D -- sounds exciting! Something like that really is needed...
Yes! DXF files for everyone!
Much larger 3D printing and lasercutting on the scale of furniture (so we can make one piece chairs, tables, etc) would be awesome.
And compatibility with Autodesk's 123D software makes sense.
Wings 3D integration for models - they are always topologically correct - no manifold issues - easy UI
STL export....
Different profile bits for the CNC (for rounded edges or enclosed pockets), custom PCB, basic materials such as dowel or metal rod to use for hinges and moving parts and perhaps some cool new materials such as magnets (that thin flexible plastic feeling stuff that is used in the cheap fridge magnets)