Microfactory

A microfactory refers to a small dimension factory able to produce small dimension products. The term was proposed by the Mechanical Engineer Laboratory (MEL) of Japan in 1990. The microfactory main advantages are to save great amount of resources like space, energy, materials and time.

Due to their reduced dimensions, microfactories should be highly automated. They might contain automatic machine tools, assembly systems, quality inspection systems, material feed systems, waste elimination systems, a system to evaluate tool deterioration and a system to replace tools.

At least one proposed microfactory is being designed to make many of its own parts, i.e., is a partially self-replicating machine.

Local Motors has microfactories in Phoenix, Ariz. and Knoxville, Tenn. The company builds its signature products, like the Rally Fighter prerunner sports car and Verrado drift trike, right in its microfactories. The company also has a Mobifactory, a mobile-version of its microfactories.

See also

• MEMS
• Microfabrication
• Microtechnology

External links

• Japanese microfactory project
• Microfactory picture
• MicroManufacturing Conference

• Makoto Tanaka, Development of desktop machining microfactory. Riken Review N. 34 Focused on Advances on Micro-mechanical Fabrication Techniques, April, 2001. Available in the WEB at http://www.riken.go.jp/lab-www/library/publication/review/pdf/No_34/34_046.pdf
• Yuichi Okazaki, Nozomu Mishima, and Kiwamu Ashida. Microfactory - concept, history, and developments. Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, pages 837–844, 2004. Available in the WEB at http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=JMSEFK000126000004000837000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes
• Ernst Kussul et al. Development of micromachine tool prototypes for microfactories, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, V. 12. N. 6. November 2002. pp.795-812. Available in the WEB at http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/0960-1317/12/6/311
• Koch, Michael D. "Utilizing emergent web-based software tools as an effective method for increasing collaboration and knowledge sharing in collocated student design teams". 2010. p. 39: Cubespawn.
• https://localmotors.com/microfactory/