It’s been a while since I’ve posted something on the RepRap project, but that doesn’t mean I don’t continue to follow it. Funny enough, the reason for this post isn’t to alert anyone to a developmental milestone, but to call attention to something that might seem counter to the whole purpose of the project: the use of molds to replicate parts (Link). The picture above shows fabber parts created using some fairly simple silicone molds.

The RepRap team is clearly recognizing what might be called a social problem with the development of their device: the fewer the people involved, the slower the progress. Hence the practical solution of molding parts to help seed a community (note the growth in the store’s offerings – Link).

I like what they’re doing. It reminds me of open source software development. If only they could “share” the tangible pieces, eh?

For me personally, this tactic mirrors my own approach which I recently mentioned over on The Meshverse Journal (Link): “fwiw, right now I see the opportunity not in fabbing the final product, but in creating low-volume tooling at the pro-sumer level” (this followed up another set of comments elsewhere on the blog – Link).

It should go without saying that there will be significant overlap in the transition from molded to fab-on-demand parts. So from my perspective, like virtual world technology, this is the time for experimentation… using all the tools at our disposal.

That said, some of you might find an earlier entry of interest: “Itokin’s Robo Factory” (reLink). It’s a great example of making do with what you have.

{Image source © RepRap blog}