Cloud Production

I've always been fascinated by 3D printers and recently ordered one from the crowd-funded Huxley project.

This project has raised far more than the initial expectation, and has forced the company that runs it to increase it's production capabilities by an order of magnitude. Now because these printers can print parts for themselves, eMaker are reaching out to other 3D printer owners to help them cope with the demand.

Imagine a future where you order something online and rather than coming from a local warehouse it is manufactured in a local facility that can make anything. As long as the quality is acceptable you don't have to know or care where it came from. The benefits of this from a production and supply chain point of view are enormous and efficiencies in the supply chain would mean cheaper goods for consumers. Couple this with the environmental benefits (less transportation and waste) and you have a game-changing technology: Cloud Production.