"One Size Does NOT Fit All" - How Technology Is Enabling Bespoke Manufacturing 2.0
Michael Chu
Product Management | Product Marketing | Product Development | Program Management | Process Improvement
Bespoke manufacturing, otherwise known as custom manufacturing, predates modern mass production. Before the rise of mass production, most goods were made in small quantities, with each tailored to the specific needs and requests of the individual customers. These goods, especially high-quality items, were custom-made and were not cheap nor widely accessible.
In the late 1800s, mass production manufacturing began to take shape and was truly game changing.
Eli Whitney popularized the use of interchangeable components that were made to precise and consistent specifications. This made assembling the final product much easier, without the need for custom fittings. Later Henry Ford introduced the assembly line and was able to produce his cars at an unprecedented rate. These inventions, and others, made items faster to produce, at drastically lower costs.
For a while, bespoke manufacturing experienced a decline due to the inherent higher costs and longer production times compared to mass produced goods. Custom manufacturing, however, never completely went away. There has always been a niche market of customers who need or value individuality and craftsmanship over mass-produced items.
We are seeing increased interest in bespoke manufacturing as consumers start to seek more unique and personalized items. Online platforms have made it easier to connect with custom manufacturers and technology has made it easier to design and produce built-to-spec items.
In this article, I'm going to touch on some of the challenges to bespoke manufacturing. We will also go over the main technological advances that address these challenges and are helping usher in what I like to call, Bespoke Manufacturing 2.0.
If It Was Easy, Everyone Would Do It - Challenges in Bespoke Manufacturing
Many of the challenges to bespoke manufacturing have been addressed or mitigated through mass production and the technologies and practices that come with that. However, as customers start asking for more customization, manufacturers will need to revisit these challenges and find ways to minimize their impact.
The New Era of Bespoke - Made Possible By… Technology!
However, just like technology helped enable mass production manufacturing, it is also helping address some of the challenges so that we can get to Bespoke Manufacturing 2.0.
Additive Manufacturing / 3D Printing
Traditional manufacturing normally involves subtractive processes that start with a raw piece of material and remove portions to get to the desired part. Subtractive manufacturing is generally faster at scale, which is why it is used in mass production. However it requires dedicated tooling which adds to overall cost and lead time. This makes it unsuitable for small batch or custom production. It is also potentially wasteful depending on how much material must be removed.
With the introduction and refinement of 3D printing, another option is now available to bespoke manufacturers. 3D printing, once limited to materials like plastic, is now able to create parts made out of a range of materials, including ceramics, metal, glass and more.
Since special tooling is not required, the startup costs and time are much less. The ability to source and use raw material in bulk also helps with supply chain management and costs.
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I will be dedicating an upcoming article to additive manufacturing and 3D printing... Stay tuned!
Advanced CAD
Design software has improved significantly, especially with the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) to help check design suitability and even, in some cases, come up with novel approaches to satisfying a custom customer requirement. In my article, "Generative AI and Industry 4.0 - It's Already Here... Are You Ready?", I touch upon a few ways generative AI is improving the industrial segment.
These advanced CAD tools let bespoke manufacturers handle custom requirements quicker, lower custom design costs and improve the skills challenges.
Robotics / Automation with AI
As factory automation, such as robotics, gets smarter through the use of AI inference, they can start handling more of the steps in manufacturing without the need for a human operator to be involved. They can be programmed with the exact steps and quality checks to be performed consistently, product to product.
This becomes even more important as factories have to accommodate constantly changing product specifications, but still maintain the output and quality demands necessary to run a successful business.
Online E-Commerce
Finally, with online e-commerce, bespoke manufacturers are able to reach a larger audience and generate extra demand for their custom products. This extra market reach helps mitigate some of the challenges of losing the economies of scale inherent with custom manufacturing.
Bespoke Manufacturing 2.0: Fad or Trend?
The latest advances in additive manufacturing, advanced CAD tools, robotics/automation and online e-commerce have definitely changed the outlook for the rebirth of bespoke manufacturing. While scale manufacturing, at least for the near future, is here to stay, we have seen in this article that bespoke manufacturing is increasingly an option worth considering, for customers that need it.
What do you think about the future of Bespoke Manufacturing 2.0? Will it continue to grow? Or is it a passing fad?
Share your thoughts and experience.
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