D3D Fusion

See also Tobben Log

This project aims to be a proof of concept instance of a Distributive Enterprise focusing on 3D printers. It's similar to the RepRap project, but instead of focusing on creating and spreading machines (3D printers) this project focuses on people, the RepRappers. The idea is to achieve exponential increase in the number of RepRappers by simultaneously teaching RepRap and how to teach RepRap.

Chain reaction metaphor

The D3D stands for Distributive enterprise 3D printer. The "fusion" part is there because this project will try to bootstrap a kind of economical chain reaction:

Instructor + Hardware + Plans + Participants_x → X (3D printer + New Potential Instructor)

This project will try to initiate a process where new instructors are formed who themselves obtain plans, hardware and participants to continue the process.

The → (workshop)

The "reaction" in this metaphor is a workshop. It will be designed into the smallest detail to facilitate reaction propagation. The design will be iteratively updated.

We (Tobben and Marcin) currently (6 Dec 2015) believe a one-day workshop has the best chance of propagating. This is because:

• Potential participants' time is limited. This will be squashed into peoples schedules
• Potential instructors needs economical incentives. Shorter workshops is more probable to generate a decent pay per hour

The Instructor

The first instructors will be OSE members. The Hardware, Plans and workshop will be designed to increase probability of a Participant → Instructor transition.

The Plans

Complete instructions and ready-made plans on how to host a workshop will be made as accessible as possible.

Making them good

Relevant data such as (build time, preparation time, etc) will be collected during every workshop. This data will be analyzed by the D3D project to facilitate plan design iterations.

Initial workshop plan will be guessed from various experience and beliefs.

Making them accessible

Features believed to increase accessibility include:

• Usage of rich media (video, sound, color, ...)
• Good language
• Good translations
• Wide publication
• All in one place (MOOC?)

Increasing accessibility easy. Doing it efficiently requires some consideration/experience.

The Participants

Potentially anyone. Make as few assumptions about participants as possible. Motivating people to become participants is a major part of the project.

The Hardware

The success of the RepRap project and the resulting increased availability of the RepRap hardware and information is the main reason why 3D printers are chosen as the first proof of concept Distributive Enterprise.

Making it good

Making the hardware as

• Generally useful
• Durable
• Easily repaired
• High quality

... as possible is a major part of the project.

This part of the project can build heavily on the results of the RepRap project- and community as well as other communities and available research on DIY 3D printers.

Making it accessible

Having a well engineered 3D printer will not lead to a workshop propagation unless the machine is

• Cheap
• Easy to use
• Easy to build
• Well documented
• Stylish

Business norms and science norms

D3D Fusion, as a DE, will eagerly train new competitors within its own production sector. Since there's no difference between "competitor" and "external collaborator" within OSHW enterprise, maybe we should call them something else? e-collegues?

On the market for selling prints, it will compete for customers as usual. During designing, coding and researching, it will benefit from other DEs' expertise, they will be collaborators.

This combination of roles is customary within the scientific community which relies on the following norms:

1. Researchers are part time teachers
2. Publish or perish (risk losing your reputation and/or job)
3. Research must be replicable to gain trust

D3D Fusion applies similar norms to a RepRap business.

1. Founder are part time teacher (makes an income through hosting workshops where he teaches his craft)
2. All R&D progress published to the Internet
3. The enterprise is replicable

There are currently no norms driving D3D Fusion into decision 1 but decision 2 follows norms within the Open Source Hardware community. Norm 3 is an extension of design norms within the RepRap community.

Part time teaching

Many companies teach their craft and succeed in competitive markets at the same time. Ideo is an example within design business that sells both designs and courses on designing[1][2][3], Lulzbot teaches by writing how-to guides[4][5], E3D teaches results of their R&D in public presentations[6]. The Ideo, Lulzbot and E3d enterprises prove that teaching your craft and selling your products simultaneously is economically sound (or at least doable).

Bootstrapping a market for DE workshops would give DE workers a special opportunities to work as part time teachers. This bootstrapping requires designing and testing a template, publishing it and supporting it with data.

Publish or Perish

The possibility to publish everything is already being used by current OSHW enterprises, such as Lulzbot[7] and E3d[8].

Replicability

This is where D3D Fusion will be the most different from current OSHW enterprises...

List of similar projects

• Seed Factory
• MOST lab workshops
• Ifixit