RepRap Without Borders - RWB

So, now that we have a Mendel, Aka RepRap 2.0 out, it's time to change the world. I'd like to create a RepRap without Borders forum and start streaming stuff into the wiki, but I don't know how people are using RepRaps to fix the major problems like energy, scarcity, disease, lack of clean water and so on. So I think it's a few minutes too early.

These are my two ideas to get discussion rolling:
* A library of models to teach blind children what things are, e.g. "This is a cell. Feel that? That's the nucleus." and "This is a human heart". (I know there's 3D files here and there, but we need to wikify and GPL-ize stuff.
* A carbon-neutral or carbon-negative personal wind turbine
Reference:
[www.lowtechmagazine.com]
* medical test equiment
* wet bio lab equipment
* physics and engineering models for K-12 + education
* a braille printer (this should be easy)
* waterpumps - Maybe, maybe not. I know there are diesel-powered water pumps out there that are doing useful work, and there are child-powered small toy merry-go-rounds that pump water, but I don't know of anything that is GPL (and/or wiki-ed up on RepRap.org)
* shelter

So, how do people want to use RepRaps to make stuff? Forum discussion is very good, and forum discussion accompanied by new wiki pages with notes and drawings are even better. As things develop I'll create a RWB folder and start instantiating forums.

Here are some places to get started:

[www.afrigadget.com]

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Tata launches ‘Swach’ water filters
Mumbai, Dec 7, DHNS:
After producing the world’s cheapest cars, followed by housing, Tata Group now forays into low cost purifying drinking water to millions of people in the country especially targeting the rural poor.
[www.deccanherald.com]

I like the blind diagram/prop idea. It may be distracting with the texture of the printed parts, but integrated labels (in braille) would be easy, and colour of the plastic would not be important.

Thingiverse (http://www.thingiverse.com/) is an idea place to store the models and files for any objects.

Educational props and models are also ideal, as several schools have started RepRap/Makerbot/Rapman projects, and this will help roll out 3-d printing to other areas of the school.

Nice thinking!

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Reprapping blog and other rants: [renoirsrants.blogspot.com]
My Reprap: [sites.google.com]

I've created pages with some structure for photos and notes and so on the various subjects:

RepBraillePrinter
[objects.reprap.org]

Blind/Models
[objects.reprap.org]

Physics/Models
[objects.reprap.org]

Engineering/Models
[objects.reprap.org]

I'd like to try to help build up RepRap.org into a non-profit library space which is better than anything else out there. Which means switching to a post mediawiki-solution with thingiverse-like functionality.

That also means that those Engineering models and Physics models can very quickly become part of post-mendel and post-post-mendel, as opposed to if they're scattered across the internet at peoples homepages and in for-profit-content-sharing sites that get bought out by MSahoomazoogle.

That's a derail/rant we can hash out over in the Library:
[dev.forums.reprap.org]

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In the next day or two I'll create a dedicated RWB forum. I don't know how fast we'll build up discussion, but I think RWB-type work is important.

Hmmm ... The thread seems to have gone to sleep.

Who's got good ideas, and who wants to be start working on one of the ideas that's come up already?

Keep it there I have loads of ideas just not enough time..

~ Beata blockers are taking some time to get used to.. I fall asleep and wake up at daft times at the moment like its 3:30am here .. Good in a way I not working at the moment I'd get sacked for falling asleep..

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Bodge It [reprap.org]
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BIQ Sanguinololu SD LCD board	BIQ Stepcon	BIQ Opto Endstop
BIQ Heater Block PCB	BIQ Extruder Peek clamp replacement	BIQ Huxley Seedling
BIQ Sanguinololu mounting	BIQ standalone Sanguinololu or Ramps mounting	Print It Stick It Cut it

My rep strap: [repstrapbertha.blogspot.com]

Buy the bits from B&Q pipestrap [diyrepstrap.blogspot.com]
How to Build a Darwin without any Rep Rap Parts [repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]
Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]

Beta blockers are a pain.

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Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

Thomas A. Edison

-- moved topic --

Hi!

I work for Delcam Healthcare and we provide CADCAM solutions for medical applications. We are very interested in RepRap 3D printing machines and the possibility of integrating them with some of our products, in particular our custom orthotic insole range:

[www.delcam-healthcare.com]

Would anyone be interested in printing some insoles if we sent you some CAD files?

Thanks,

Delcam Healthcare

Sebastien,
I believe RepRap is a (important) part of a bigger program that is introduced below. Perhaps we could get some discussion going to help get this started, which, in turn, could help the RepRap efforts. (BTW, I have a cleanly formated version in MS Word that I can supply, if needed).


New! JOB$ for ALL from the “FAMCAM Revolution”
FAMCAM (Family owned Computer Automated Manufacturing)

Goal: Create good jobs for all middle-class people, worldwide .


Belief-1. Prosperity is not a “zero-sum” game. That is, all can be winners.

Belief-2. The root cause of today’s worldwide economic crisis is this:
Automation benefits large multi-national corporations at the expense of families and our environment.

Belief-3. Automation, itself, is not the cause. In fact, automation is a crucial part of the solution.

Belief-4. Low cost labor from offshore can not compete with appropriately automated local manufacture.

Belief-5. The natural intelligence of millions of families is far above that required to successfully run their own FAMCAM businesses.

Belief-6. Imported low quality manufactured items actually cost much more than high quality (locally manufactured) items. For example, a $10 kitchen timer, that fails and is re-purchased 3 or 4 times costs more than a single high quality timer. In addition, those failed items pollute our environment (in several locations), waste valuable resources, and add CO2 from unnecessary manufacture and transportation.

Solution. If businesses and governments (preferably worldwide) choose to cooperatively and openly fund and support a unified, standardized FAMCAM-like program , then the result could be as follows :

Good jobs created for all middle-class people, worldwide because of the following developments:
 New advanced manufacturing local “mini-cells” --mass-produced for low cost and standardization:
 Size: 2’x 6’x 6’ (0.61m x 1.83m x 1.83m) -- sized for current residential room entry
 “Flavors”: 4 major variations of these standardized cells, each specialized (yet still highly flexible)
 Machining software: CAD CAM –highly advanced, highly automated, open source, high precision, easy to learn.
 Business Optimization Software: --highly advanced, highly automated, predictive, optimizing needs & local capacities
 Machining Processes (depending on the mini-cell’s “flavor”)
 3-D Printing --highly advanced, highly automated, high precision, durable, high quality result, environmentally friendly
 LASER cutting & engraving –highly advanced, highly automated, high precision, safe, environmentally friendly
 Molding --highly advanced, highly automated, high precision, durable, high quality result, environmentally friendly
 Assembly –highly advanced, highly automated, high precision, pick&place-like
 Financial Innovation: --highly advanced financing and tax incentives to assist ordinary families in the purchase and maintenance of their very own mini-cell and business.

Action. You can be a part of this revolution by choosing from the following options:
 Learn more at www.______.org
 Register for volunteer work at www._____.org/volunteer
 For example, we need volunteers to setup an online-idea-discussion service like the recent GE
 Ecomagination Challenge (with important improvements learned from GE’s service).
 Write to your political representatives to tell them about the FAMCAM revolution.

Cheers,
Bill Peterson

Quote

JOB$ for ALL from the “FAMCAM Revolution”

Quote

Belief-4. Low cost labor from offshore can not compete with appropriately automated local manufacture.

Not a bad idea. Though I don't like your rhetoric - it is not Asia's fault that most companies moved there. The people who made the decision were Americans just like you. If there is any root cause of the crisis you have then it is your greedy society who wants to earn more and pay less for all the goods.

What is more, you can't fully automate production (at least not now) so there is actually some work that has to be done even if the plant is automated. Now take into consideration the fact that an average American would like to earn at least 8$ per hour, while even 1$ per hour is more than an average Chinese earns.

I can't believe you didn't get a response. Maybe you got some PMs?

I suggest reposting in "Job Shop: I need stuff made!" part of the forum. Use "[UK]" in the title if that's where you are located.

Good luck!

Delcamhealthcare Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi!
>
> I work for Delcam Healthcare and we provide CADCAM
> solutions for medical applications. We are very
> interested in RepRap 3D printing machines and the
> possibility of integrating them with some of our
> products, in particular our custom orthotic insole
> range:
>
> [www.delcam-healthcare.com]
>
> Would anyone be interested in printing some
> insoles if we sent you some CAD files?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Delcam Healthcare