User:Lex Berezhny/Microfactory

The microfactory is a set of tools and machines that can be reasonably acquired or built from abundant materials with the goal of enabling humanity to transcend scarcity and poverty.

A factory has inputs and outputs. The decision of which tools and machines comprise the microfactory is a function of the available inputs and the expected outputs, including the requirement of self-replication.

Inputs

Criteria for selecting inputs for the microfactory:

• abundant: it should be easy to acquire useful amounts of the material for free or at insignificant cost
• safe: acquiring, handling and processing the material should not be inherently dangerous; common mistakes should be reasonably forgiving
• appropriate: see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appropriate_technology

The following common materials do not match the criteria and require the full Factory:

• Steel due to high temperatures involved.

The following materials do meet the Microfactory criteria:

Wood

• renewable material that is abundant and free if harvested from your own property
• wood has been used by humans for thousands of years and can be safely worked with primitive tools
• many existing methods, tools and knowledge on working this material

Plants

• hemp / cotton for clothes
• corn for plastics

Animals

• food
• wool
• glue from collagen

Plastic

• PET soda bottles and HDPE milk jugs are everywhere
• used for storing food, is expected to be safe
• it's only in the last decade that this material has become appropriate for a home based microfactory. methods, tools and knowledge is still at early stages
  • https://preciousplastic.com/

Aluminum

• soda cans are everywhere, aluminum scraps are also abundant
• much lower melting temperature than steel, home made foundries for aluminum are popular
• requires access to Factory to create steel tools strong enough to manipulate aluminum

Tin

• makes lead-free solder for electronics

Glass

• glass is found everywhere
• can be worked with limited tools

Methods, Machines & Tools

Aluminum Forge

• melt aluminum cans and other scrap into ingots
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2FuvKTyRMQ
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2RYYBRFu1A
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZo5o1Y0h9o

Aluminum Extruder

• heat billets to 900F
• push through die
• cool consistently
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y75IQksBb0M
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8BWQBP4Vhk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch1zEPDcg7E
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG3Ls7jrr2o&t=5m53s
• die options:
  • steel dies made in Factory
  • other hard material that can withstand the heat and pressure

Rolling Mill

• make wire out of aluminum ingots
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owcnaC2ldsg
• roller options:
  • steel rollers forged in Factory
  • hardened aluminum rollers
  • stone or other hard material

CNC Additive System (3-Axis)

OSE Universal Axis system with various attachments:

Hot Filament Extruder

• Prusa i3 MK3 design

Circuit Maker

• 3d print board with groves for wire and leave wholes for components to be placed
• place aluminum wire into grooves: http://reprap.org/wiki/SpoolHead
• A) reflow method:
  • apply solder paste (paste extruder head)
  • pick'n'place components (suction / gripper head)
  • melt solder in oven (manual / robot arm)
• B) solder method:
  • pick'n'place components (suction / gripper head)
  • solder in place (soldering iron head)

Laser

• cutting cardboard
• engraving

CNC Subtractive System (5-Axis)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13872p-UynI

LCD

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zoeeR3geTA

Outputs

Self-Replication

Using the Microfactory and with some access to a Factory or to a marketplace where steel components can be purchased it should be possible to produce another duplicate Microfactory.

Electronics

• laptop, tablet, phone, etc

Robot

• robot arm for automating small / repetitive tasks
• humanoid robot for helping with all chores on homestead

Clothes

Dryer

• traditional tumble drying
• automated hang drier

Folding Machine

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Uay9hzwusk

Kitchen

Toaster w/ Steam cooker for breakfast sandwiches

• https://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-TEM500-Muffin-2-Slice/dp/B000B18P96/

Aluminum Fasteners

• screws, nuts+bolts, nails

Other

• http://www.metalbot.org/
• http://www.appropedia.org/Open-source_metal_3-D_printer