Abstract
This discussion paper aims to set out the key challenges and opportunities emerging from distributed manufacturing (DM). We begin by describing the concept, available definitions and consider its evolution where recent production technology developments (such as additive and continuous production process technologies), digitisation together with infrastructural developments (in terms of IoT and big data) provide new opportunities. To further explore the evolving nature of DM, the authors, each of whom are involved in specific applications of DM research, examine through an expert panel workshop environment emerging DM applications involving new production and supporting infrastructural technologies. This paper presents these generalisable findings on DM challenges and opportunities in terms of products, enabling production technologies and the impact on the wider production and industrial system. Industry structure and location of activities are examined in terms of the democratising impact on participating network actors. The paper concludes with a discussion on the changing nature of manufacturing as a result of DM, from the traditional centralised, large-scale, long lead-time forecast-driven production operations to a new DM paradigm where manufacturing is a decentralised, autonomous near end user-driven activity. A forward research agenda is proposed that considers the impact of DM on the industrial and urban landscape.
Highlights
Previous eras of large-scale manufacturing have been characterised by progressive centralisation of operations, dating back to the time of the Industrial Revolution and the emergence of the factory system out of previous artisan-based craft production
This study focuses on distributed manufacturing (DM) in the present industrial context
It is a relatively new, pervasive and disruptive phenomenon in manufacturing, and essentially permits a product to exist perpetually in a virtual form, ready to be physically rendered at any time. This feature means that it can be potentially produced anywhere given the local availability of resources and access to the new production technologies. Because they can operate at a small scale and possess the agility that implies, permit a proliferation in the number of production sites, as well as less restrictions on where they might be located
Summary
Previous eras of large-scale manufacturing have been characterised by progressive centralisation of operations, dating back to the time of the Industrial Revolution and the emergence of the factory system out of previous artisan-based craft production. From a production perspective, emerging technologies as they mature may provide improved production process control that enables repeatable, dependable production at multiple locations and at smaller scale. We discuss the evolution of DM, examine emerging DM application case studies, culminating in the description of a new DM paradigm emerging from technological and other developments where manufacturing is a decentralised, autonomous near end-user driven activity. This paper sets out a future research agenda for the distributed manufacturing paradigm
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