Big Picture - June/July 2017 - 18

GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

BE A PART OF
THE MANUFACTURING REVOLUTION

BIG PICTURE

June/July 2017

We are currently amidst a manufacturing revolution. Technology
that was once reserved for large corporations and research facilities is now available at the desktop level. Children are designing
and building with 3D printers as a hobby and, for minimal investment, the means to manufacture are available to virtually anyone.
The on-demand economy is growing, attracting more than
22.4 million consumers annually, who generate $57.6 billion in
spending, and "is becoming too big an opportunity to miss." At
the consumer level, most of this growth can be seen in online
marketplaces such as Etsy, and in transportation through gig
economy ventures such as Uber and Lyft. Why the shift? How and
what we buy is changing. Buyers are redefining value, focusing on
quality, and choosing personalized goods and services that deliver
an experience, connect, and resonate one's individual expression.
Utilizing existing technologies, entrepreneurs and established
brands are in a unique position to capitalize on this shift in
buying patterns by bridging the gap between the manufacturer
and consumer, delivering unprecedented just-in-time production,
developing true customer intimacy through personalization,
and reducing cost and overhead while also shortening time-tomarket. Likewise, digital print service providers are finding new

revenue opportunities and leveraging products they own today
to start their own "Microfactory": to support local designers and
retailers, enabling them to move from concept to final design;
and then from production to packaged, sales-ready, customized
products within hours instead of weeks or months.
The Microfactory concept embraces collaborative manufacturing and process automation to create a flexible, functional
platform that enables the production of a wide range of readyto-market goods. The key idea of the Microfactory concept is to
bring together complementary technologies in order to produce a
consumer-ready product.
For example, print service providers can use UV LED flatbed
printing to decorate the underside of a skateboard deck, the
trucks and wheels; and then cut grip tape, using a flatbed or
laser cutter, to produce the graphic for the topside of the board.
After assembly and only about 30 minutes of active labor, you
have a customized, premium-priced item ready for immediate
sale, with minimal materials investment. That math can pencil
out to profits. Another example is textile printing - either directto-fabric or dye sublimation transfer with a heat press - plus
sewing equipment and labor, to create custom goods such as
backpacks, messenger bags, and tablet sleeves. Existing digital
printing and cutting technologies can also be used to create
packaging for your finished goods.
Each of these applications uses multiple technologies that
work together to manufacture a product. By bringing together
efficient, production-focused machines, digital print service
providers of all sizes can thrive, especially when workflow
automation is incorporated into the mix. This can be as simple as
a jig-based workflow for flatbed UV LED printers, variable data
for personalization, or rules-based automation. By defining the
workflow processes up front, the number of human touches can
be reduced dramatically, greatly increasing the ability to compete
in the marketplace and remain profitable. Utilizing the Microfactory concept and adding a web-based store for customer ordering and a fulfillment system for the product delivery provides a
complete manufacturing solution.
There is no better time than now to explore the opportunities
around you and get in on the ground floor of the rapidly growing
on-demand manufacturing market.
mimakiusa.com

http://www.mimakiusa.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - June/July 2017