Developing customised design and fabrication protocols for low-end digital fabrication tools

Low-end Digital Fabrication technologies are poised to fundamentally transform existing Design and Manufacturing practices by offering; local production scenarios, mass customisation, reduced overheads, open designs and on demand manufacturing. Yet within Industry and Academia the adoption of low-end Digital Fabrication tools specifically for the production of end-use components and products has remained slow, with attention often focused on speeding up existing systems without significantly attempting to change them, and as tools for producing cheap and fast prototypes. Through a mixed method approach that include a series of design challenges and workshops this research explores what happens when Customised Design and Fabrication Protocols (CDFP) are developed for existing design practitioners and design students as tools for exploring novel design approaches that drive ideas and production processes to the extremes in search of innovative opportunities and solutions.The overall research findings support the notion that the skill, knowledge and experience required to take Design for Digital Fabrication to the next level exist.Yet the research findings have uncovered significant obstacles that currently limit meaningful progress. These are related to existing mindsets, a significant failure to link designs to Digital Fabrication processes during the concept development phase, limitations with existing infrastructure such as FabLabs and online service bureaux’s and a lack of creative and clear contexts where novel approaches can thrive. The contribution to knowledge synthesizes existing knowledge and offers value through the creation of a DfDF framework that supports users, establishes clear working protocols and workflows, as well as providing valuable insights into new design languages, novel manufacturing systems and product platforms. That if allowed to flourish will enable future generations of practitioners and consumers to more effectively and efficiently exploit all of the broad benefits associated with Digital Fabrication and Re-distributed Manufacturing