Writing about this topic was probably my first thought. But I have written a lot, and I haven’t spoken about it yet. And to be honest, I didn’t find the right answer to it. When I read what I wrote, I see more difficulties in the hardware industry than expected and a process that could […] La entrada Why do I love making so much? se publicó primero en Wilhelm Lappe.

I have been writing mainly about “self-making”. But there’s a question: is it worth it? Because there’s the alternative of someone doing it for us. Many companies are offering these services. I find it very interesting that you can select the material, the manufacturing method, the delivery time, upload your file, and you’ll obtain a […] La entrada Manufacturing’s Outsourcing Production se publicó primero en Wilhelm Lappe.

How to learn The learning process was also interesting with the machines and the production. There is a needed short intro, and then you have to learn by trial and error. For the machines, I use to read the handbook, but many parameters and settings depend on each project and material, and they are not […] La entrada The learning process (II). Digital Manufacturing and Prototyping se publicó primero en Wilhelm Lappe.

What to learn There are many disciplines here: from software to machines, including adjustments and material properties. We start with software, and we don’t use only one. At least there are three: Something for 3D design, usually Fusion360 (link) Something for the 2D files (in the laser cutting), frequently Inkscape, but also Corel Draw or […] La entrada The learning process (I). Digital Manufacturing and Prototyping se publicó primero en Wilhelm Lappe.

Documentation Documenting is a really important process. With many parameters and a trial and error process, writing everything is the key to understand what’s happening. But that’s not easy. We have many spontaneous ideas, and when they are successful, we have to write them down. Usually, we just celebrate the success, and we start thinking […] La entrada Working styles and methods (II). Digital Manufacturing and Prototyping se publicó primero en Wilhelm Lappe.

This one-year trip to something quite new was very interesting for me. I learnt many things, but what was probably more interesting was the “discovery process“. What my expectations were, what and how I learnt and what are the opportunities I see. Expectations and doubts I was expecting some engineering. To me, it means learning […] La entrada Working styles and methods (I). Digital Manufacturing and Prototyping se publicó primero en Wilhelm Lappe.

CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) is probably the most powerful system to manufacture final pieces. It’s an interesting option for manufacturing in 3D but with a kind of 2D design strategy. What I used here is a 2.5-3 axes machine, where the advantages vs laser cutting are limited. With a 5 axes machine, the options are […] La entrada CNC. Digital Manufacturing and Prototyping se publicó primero en Wilhelm Lappe.

Laser cutting has been my biggest discovery. The process is easy: to cut a board. It’s similar to what we can do with a cutter or a saw. These machines are fast and accurate, but the challenges are in the adjustments. There are only two parameters: power and speed. The concept is easy: as laser-beam […] La entrada Laser cutting. Digital Manufacturing and Prototyping se publicó primero en Wilhelm Lappe.