Digital Fabrication (CNC)

The tools of digital fabrication are pretty amazing. They can cut, machine, carve, shape, and build in ways that most of us could never do manually ... and they'll do it over and over again if you want them to. They basically print the real parts of your project in 3D, exactly as specified. Doing distributed production in garages and small workshops around the world would not be possible without this technology.

[Digitally-fabricated house going up, MoMA-NYC]

Why Our First Digital-Fabrication Tools Will Be CNC  Routers ...

There are lots of great digital-fabrication tools. These tools all allow you to create a 3D part or component from a computer, as if you were printing it. Tools that add or deposit material are often called '3D printers' or 'rapid prototyping machines'. Tools that create by cutting away or subtracting material are called CNC routers and CNC milling machines, laser cutters, and water-jet cutters.

We're starting up 100Kgarages with a focus on CNC routers. That's because they are one of the most generally useful and applicable of the digital-fabrication tools. They are capable of cutting and machining items as small as jewelry and as large as houses. Unlike 3D printers, they also work with real materials such as wood, plastic, and aluminum. And, they have more 3D functionality than laser cutters and water-jet cutters. We hope that as time goes by, we will be able to incorporate more types of tools into the 100Kgarage network. Though note that Ponoko already provides laser-cutting services using web methodologies similar to those here.

CNC routers can drill, cut, and machine any shape.

Why Our First CNC Routers Will Be ShopBots ...

There are many brands of CNC routers, and a number of individuals have made their own home-brew versions of CNC tools. Over time, we will incorporate a broader range of CNC tools into the action here. But for the moment, we focus on ShopBot CNC Routers as our fabrication tool. ShopBots are pretty ubiquitous. There are many more ShopBots than any other affordable CNC router -- many thousand in small workshops around the country. Because the tools are quite standard, we can be confident of their capabilities. We also can be confident of credibility with respect to ownership, size of the tool, significant accessories, etc. of those owners who participate in the 100Kgarage network.

Each ShopBot is also provided with the same high quality CAD/CAM software. This makes it possible to standardize the process of getting from your designs to the files which guide the motion on the tools.

Most importantly, ShopBot owners (who think of themselves as ShopBotters) have been participating for years in a loose network of fabricators. They maintain considerable contact in forums and user-group events, and freely share production techniques and ideas. There is a strong interest in this group in making themselves more available to serve needs of people wanting to get work done and items produced.

[ShopBotter Fabrication Shops]          [How Do CNC Routers Work?]