Universities/Open Source Microfactory
Contents
Title
Open Source Microfactory - Transforming scrap metal into products of advanced civilization
Description
We can convert rocks, plants, water, and sunlight into the substance of modern civilization. That's what modern industry is doing on the global scale already. We think it can be done better on the scale of a community. Like Shumacher and Gandhi, we think that Small is Beautiful - so we're developing the Open Source Microfactory.
What are the limits of the open source production - for enabling communities to capture local wealth and keep it from leaking out? What if every community could produce its own cars, windmills and solar energy equipment, food, even bioplastics and semiconductors?
What if we could go through all levels of metal transformation locally:
- Scrap metal
- Start with scrap metal resources, like steel and other metals, melt them down with an induction furnace, followed by process such as casting, forging, rolling, and with that you can generate virgin steel.
- Virgin steel
- Then you can produce machine parts from it with things like CNC lathing, milling, CNC torch tables for cutting, laser cutter, open source torch welder, iron worker machine, CNC circuit mill.
- Machine Parts
- Assemble the machines parts and you can make tractors, cars and anything else that we have in GVCS.
- Products of advanced civilization
The full production chain of the Open Source Microfactory includes:
- Induction Furnace - to melt scrap metal.
- Metal Roller - a metal forming process in which metal stock is passed through a pair of rolls to produce a desired shape, such as flat bar, angle, or u-channel.
- CNC Multimachine - a multipurpose, precision CNC machining and metal cutting device for milling, lathing, drilling to make precision parts; includes surface grinding and cold-cut metal sawing.
- Industrial Robots - a robotic arm which can perform certain human tasks – such as welding or milling – for performing tasks that are not better done by humans.
- Pelletizer - a device that compresses shredded pieces of biomass or other substances to compact, flowable pellets.
- Hydralic Motor - a mechanical actuator that converts high-pressure fluid flow into rotation.
- Stepper Motor Controller - to power the RepRap, Laser Cutter, Torch Table, CNC machines, circuit maker.
- Oxy-Hydrogen Generator - generate oxyhydrogen cutting gas by electrolyzing water.
- CNC Torch Table - a computer-controlled cutting table for metal where a moving torch head is used to produce precision metal parts in a fraction of the time that it takes to do so manually.
- CNC Circuit Mill - a computer-controlled device that can produce electrical circuits by milling and drilling on copper-clad circuit boards.
- MIG Welder - for welding.
- Inverter and Inverter Welder
- Electric Motor Generator - a device that functions as a motor when energized with a voltage, which can also function as an electrical generator when it is spun.
- Modern Steam Engine - an engine where an external heat source is used to turn water into steam, and the steam in turn moves reciprocating pistons to provide shaft power.
- Ironworker - a device that can instantly cut steel and punch holes in metal thicknesses of 1"
- Nickel Iron Batteries - long-life batteries that have a track record of lasting 50 or more years.
Tasks
Developing a pathway for bootstrapping precision machining from common available stock steel
Requirements
- Good knowledge in precision machining
Contact
Nikolay Georgiev, nikolay (at) opensourceecology (dot) org
