Read the INC. Magazine article online now

For those of you who are curious as to who exactly are behind Ponoko, how they started out, and what it takes to get your laser cut packages from your desktop, into production, and delivered back to you (or your customers), you must read the recent article in INC. magazine by Max Chafkin.

Read of Ponoko’s U.S. office, “Actually, ‘office’ is probably stretching the truth. Ten Have was working in a windowless closet inside a large warehouse. Most of the space was taken up by a laser cutter. The rest of the tiny room was occupied by sheets of plastic and plywood in every imaginable color and thickness and a 7-foot-tall stack of cardboard boxes. The room smelled like burnt plastic from the fumes that are produced when the machine cuts acrylic.”

Read how the Ponoko CEO spent 12-hour days cutting and packaging Ponoko orders and had dropped nearly 15 pounds in a 3 month period in the US, returning to New Zealand gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes and a pale face.

The article really does give great insight into the Ponoko vision and the work required to make it happen

I personally have been on the periphery of Ponoko’s developments for over a year and in true distributed network style have never met anyone from Ponoko the whole time, so the article was of great interest to me. To read of the hard work and dedication it takes to make an ambitious venture stand up and be viable, in what are some of the most difficult economic times has been truly inspiring.

Congratulations again to Dave, Derek and the rest of the very small Ponoko crew.

Oh, and next time you receive your Yippee! packaging of your completed Ponoko project, it just may be Derek or Dave’s sweat staining the cardboard….

Posted in Duann Scott, Interviews, Thoughts + Opinions, Maker Movement, Ponoko News by Duann | Comments are off for this post

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CloudFab is a new online marketplace that provides engineers, designers, and hobbyists access to a network of job shops who provide fabrication and prototyping services (currently 3D printing).

The latest player on the scene of distributed manufacturing networks is CloudFab by GearHeadz. Currently in Beta testing stage they seek to democratize access to 3D printing with a fairly broad range of processes seemingly at their disposal ranging from Fused Deposition Modeling, through Selective Laser Sintering to Direct Metal Printing. Their site also has a concise run down and comparison of the processes available. Their terms of service are transparent with no commission taken for orders under $100, which to me indicates they are pitching less towards the prosumer/maker market and more towards the engineering side of things? but maybe not, check out their manifesto..

In the beginning, humans fashioned all their possessions with their own skills – ones they learned from their community. Over time certain members specialized in the art of making things – thus began the age of the artisan. Trade specialization increased to the point where each trade became a science. These tradesmen began to develop all kinds of tricks to make their tasks easier — the industrial revolution began. As they further automated their tasks they vastly increased the efficiency of production — thus began the age of mass production.

This trend toward automation continues in our time, however there is a storm gathering in the distance. A storm that will wash away many of the paradigms of the past and bring us back to some of the roots of our humanity. Techniques that were once only available to a select few are coming within the reach of all of us. As technology becomes more ubiquitous, the ability to shape your own reality increases. This democratization of innovation allows nearly anyone with an idea to solve their own problems and realize their own dreams – thus begins the age of mass customization.

These trends are all culminating to form the perfect storm of achieving these ends. A vast reservoir of spare capacity exists waiting to be tapped by latent demand. Digital fabrication techniques now allow us the standardization and consistency to remotely produce unique, high quality parts and devices. The internet allows us all to share files, tools, and techniques that foster innovation without requiring vast sums of money. All of this – and at the same time the population is growing tired of mass produced goods that only superficially connect with them and their lives.

At CloudFab, we believe strongly in this movement, and so we’ve developed this platform to enable those with the fabrication equipment to share their machines with the greater public. We hope our service will be one step towards the goal of truly personal fabrication. Now the journey begins.

It will be interesting to see CloudFab’s part in the personal fabrication and mass customization storm along with the likes of Ponoko, 100kGarages, Thingiverse, the list grows..

Thanks to SolidSmack

Posted in 3D Printing, Digital Fabrication, Duann Scott, Maker Movement, Mass Customization, Technology, Tools + Apps by Duann | Comments are off for this post

Make your own stuff using: 3D Printing, Laser Cutting, CNC Routing, App Gateway

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Netflix data shows shifting demand down the Long Tail

Chris Anderson, author of The Long Tail recently posted this graph on his blog, showing changes to Netflix usage with a decline in rentals at the head, and increase in the tail.
The Long Tail analysis by Wharton contradicts Anderson’s analysis saying.

“Contrary to Anderson’s suggestion and independent of how popularity is measured, Wharton researchers find that consumers tend to be less satisfied with niche movies than with hit movies. Moreover, it is mostly heavy movie watchers who venture into niche movies. Since only a small fraction of consumers constitute heavy movie watchers, it is not surprising that there is weak evidence of the Long Tail effect, Netessine concludes.”

Whatever the conclusion, whether the Long Tail does not exist, or it is fattening as consumers stray from the big hits to more niche market or back catalogue purchases, the likes of Ponoko, Shapeways and Thingiverse will benefit from the more discerning (and distributed) tastes of the emerging market. As search engines and aggregators make available the bespoke, made to order items, mass customization and personalization gains traction, the mass produced (very) slowly are condemned to the shelves of Walmart and Ikea.

The Long Tail” was a concept put forth by Chris Anderson in an October 2004 Wired magazine article which described the niche strategy of businesses, such as Amazon.com or Netflix, that sell a large number of unique items, each in relatively small quantities. Anderson elaborated the Long Tail concept in his book The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More. Given a large enough availability of choice, a large population of customers, and negligible stocking and distribution costs, the selection and buying pattern of the population results in a power law distribution curve, or Pareto distribution. This suggests that a market with a high freedom of choice will create a certain degree of inequality by favoring the upper 20% of the items (“hits” or “head”) against the other 80% (“non-hits” or “long tail”). This is known as the Pareto principle or 80–20 rule.

via The Long Tail Blog and my buddies at Wikipedia.

Posted in Duann Scott, Interviews, Thoughts + Opinions by Duann | Comments are off for this post

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Solheim Lab’s Vitraglyphic process

A team of engineers and artists working at the University of Washington’s Solheim Rapid Manufacturing Laboratory has developed a way to create glass objects using a conventional 3-D printer. The technique allows a new type of material to be used in such devices. The team’s method, which it named the Vitraglyphic process, is a follow-up to the Solheim Lab’s success last spring printing with ceramics. As with its ceramics 3-D printing recipe, the Solheim lab is releasing its method of printing glass for general use.
(more…)

Posted in 3D Printing, Digital Fabrication, Duann Scott, Materials, Technology by Duann | Comments are off for this post

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• Power to the People — 1 October
Ardica manufactures miniaturized, portable power systems. The competition asks designers and engineers to explore the potential of the new Moshi Power System, a flexible portable plane of ion batteries that can generate 40w of power. Top prize takes $5000.

• urban SHED — 2 October
Sidewalk sheds are those makeshift wooden walls underneath construction walkways that are usually plastered with promotional posters. NYC wants a new look that protects and improves the pedestrian experience. First stage winners receive a $5k stipend to compete in the grand $10,000.

• How To Use 500 Colored Pencils — 5 October
500 Colored Pencils is a product subscription to receive 25 different colored pencils over the course of 20 months. Social Designer and Felissimo are looking for creative uses for the 500 Colored Pencils. Winner receives $1000 plus a free set.

• Diva Jewelry Competition — 15 October
Design a jewelry range for the NZ/Australia based accessories retailer Diva for a chance at $1000, attending a Grazia fashion shoot, and having your designs produced and sold at Diva stores worldwide.

• Metal Inspiration Contest — 20 October
3D printers Shapeways are holding their biggest competition to date. Categories included Art, Technology, and Jewelry. First place earns $200.

• Jewelers of America National Design Competition — throughout October & November
The JA National Design Competition will enter its 20th year in 2010. JA is calling for volunteers to help restructure and expand the event. Teleconference meetings will be held bi-weekly.

Posted in Contests + Competitions, Kristen Turner by Kristen Turner | Comments are off for this post

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Their aim: “just make things nice”.

Hot on the back of being named finalists in the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award for 2009, daniel.emma (Daniel To and Emma Aiston) have just launched their latest range of products entitled SOLIDS at the 2009 100% Design in London.

The collection which consists of a Stationery Container, Pencil Box, Desk LIght, Torch, Rubberband Ball, Thermometer, Wall Hook and Wall Clock. The resolution to the designs expresses their desire to ˜just make things nice” which is something that every design is entitled to. The idea of using the solid forms was to create an aesthetic that is in many ways uncharacterized to current trends. This collection was developed especially to exhibit at 100% Design London. Essentially this work is a natural progression from ‘Shapes’ (their first collection) however the designs in this series are a little more refined, ideas are more developed, and materials and processes of manufacture are being explored deeper.
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An exploration of their varied perspectives on the complex issues of sustainability.

TEN XYZ references the axis utilised within software and digital manufacturing technologies to produce
three-dimensional objects. For this years project TEN have explored a plethora of digital technologies including Laser Cutters, Water Jet Profilers, 3D scanning, 2-Axis plotter-cutters, rapid prototyping as well as 3 and 5-Axis CNC routing. The different machines have all been put to use to produce a collection of responses, suggestions and 3D thoughts, that sees the collective
return to the more concept driven framework of the original TEN in 2006.

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Posted in Design, Digital Fabrication, Duann Scott, Events, Functional Art + Objects, Furniture + Lighting by Duann | Comments are off for this post

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C. Sven Johnson taps into 100KGarages.com and Kickstarter to share some CNC love.

C. Sven Johnson AKA reBang has just launched a project on the Kickstarter site whose goal is to make a unique, high-quality toy design freely available with no royalties to CNC hobbyists and small businesses which make and sell wooden toys. He is seeking pledges from $5 up to take the project from a concept to a sharable reality. Along with being a very quick response to the manufacturing network opened up by Ponoko and 100KGarages.com, this project also opens up discussions surrounding intellectual property rights, the benefits of distributed manufacturing and the CPSIA.

If you have $5 to spare towards an interesting precedent send it their way and you can opt to receive an emailed newsletter of updates, providing additional insight into the project’s process; including commentary, sketches, photos, and anything else of relevance., or if you have a lazy $1000 lying around (or more) you can invest and also enjoy the additional rewards including a detailed project documentation e-book, a signed high-quality poster print commemorating the community-backed development of the Toasthed toy and the first wooden, CNC-cut prototype created during the development of this toy.

Best of luck to C. Sven Johnson…

Posted in CNC Routing, Design, Digital Fabrication, Downloadable, Duann Scott, Technology, Tools + Apps, Toys + Games by Duann | Comments are off for this post

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10 Page spread praising the efforts and initiative of Ponoko

In the October 2009 issue of INC. Magazine (yet to be released here in Australia), Ponoko’s co-founder and CEO Dave Ten-Have gets the front cover along with the headline:

Move Over China
The future of manufacturing is alive in a five-person shop in Wellington, New Zealand.
Think cheap, quick, green, and global. And everything’s made to order.

Of course we all know Ponoko along with other DIY and Mass Customization networks are at the intelligent edge of post-industrial design, but it is great to get some acknowledgement for a ‘mainstream’ magazine for entrepreneurs such as INC.
Joseph Flaherty of Replicator blog as a quick little round up of the article that may whet your appetite until your copy arrives in the mail..

Congrats to the Ponoko team….

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Yup – get a $25, $50 or $100 gift voucher to make anything you want!

To qualify just make something:

1) From any of the 40 new materials from the US hub or the 53 brilliant materials from the NZ hub.

2) By midnight Wednesday September 30th 2009 US Pacific time.

3) Enter the words “Gimme a $[enter value here] voucher fool” into the ‘Special Delivery Instructions’ box on your way through checkout.

4) To get this $25 voucher, make something worth $100 or more (making + materials):

5) To get this $50 voucher, make something worth $175 or more (making + materials):

6) To get this $100 voucher, make something worth $300 or more (making + materials):

So whatcha waiting for?!
Offer closes midnight Wednesday September 30th 2009 US Pacific time. Upload your design and get cracking here.

Posted in Ponoko News by Ponoko Team | Comments are off for this post

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