cool idea

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This could be extended to all sorts of stuff: chassis, plastic structures, shelving, light fixtures, workbenches, whatever.

Sort of related, how about a service that does PCB layout and assembly using a limited number of form factors and parts? You could run an app and do the basic selection of outlines, placement of connectors, and LEDs, enter your schematic, and get an assembled board. Or the board in a standard box.

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John Larkin                  Highland Technology Inc 
www.highlandtechnology.com   jlarkin at highlandtechnology dot com    
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John Larkin
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On the house front, if they used SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) they they would have a winner! They would make great CNC material.

On the electronics front, these would be great. Have a standard front panel for an LCD touchscreen, an area below for buttons, speakers, etc. and side inserts for connectors and other buttons!

Reply to
Charlie E.

_your_own_house_project/

The panelized housing industry already does this, they ship everything to y ou in pieces, and you assemble it, seems to be their idea. You have an infi nite number of designs to choose from, all of which can be customized, or y ou can go custom from scratch, which is not recommended unless you have tra ining and (successful) experience in architectural design. You're not going to get code approval on anything more than a shed with their plywood struc ture, and without code approval you can't get building permit or constructi on loan. And plywood is obsolete as a building material, OSB and engineered lumber are the materials of choice and vastly superior in numerous respect s, try comparing the cost, it's like 4:1. That article is being used to fil l space and awe the clueless. Let's see you use that printer to survey the site, grade it, construct a foundation, install basic utilities, side and r oof it, install the interior, and the nice-to-haves like doors, windows, st eps, walkways, etc..there is a lot of labor and material unaccounted for th ere.

,

ing a

basic

matic,

Reply to
bloggs.fredbloggs.fred

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in pieces, and you assemble it, seems to be their idea. You have an infinite number of designs to choose from, all of which can be customized, or you can go custom from scratch, which is not recommended unless you have training and (successful) experience in architectural design. You're not going to get code approval on anything more than a shed with their plywood structure, and without code approval you can't get building permit or construction loan. And plywood is obsolete as a building material, OSB and engineered lumber are the materials of choice and vastly superior in numerous respects, try comparing the cost, it's like 4:1. That article is being used to fill space and awe the clueless. Let's see you use that printer to survey the site, grade it, construct a foundation, install basic utilities, side and roof it, install the interior, and the nice-to-haves like doors, windows, steps, walkways,

a

basic

schematic,

The general idea is that computers made it easy to access, store, and print (no more secretaries!) info (who needs libraries?) and pictures (no more film processing stores!) and such. The next step will be for computers to make it easy to design and build things. The 3D "stuff" printers, laser cutters, and n/c machining are just hints of what may be coming.

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John Larkin                  Highland Technology Inc 
www.highlandtechnology.com   jlarkin at highlandtechnology dot com    
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John Larkin

On Saturday, March 2, 2013 2:15:58 PM UTC-5, John Larkin wrote:

wrote:

o you in pieces, and you assemble it, seems to be their idea. You have an i nfinite number of designs to choose from, all of which can be customized, o r you can go custom from scratch, which is not recommended unless you have training and (successful) experience in architectural design. You're not go ing to get code approval on anything more than a shed with their plywood st ructure, and without code approval you can't get building permit or constru ction loan. And plywood is obsolete as a building material, OSB and enginee red lumber are the materials of choice and vastly superior in numerous resp ects, try comparing the cost, it's like 4:1. That article is being used to fill space and awe the clueless. Let's see you use that printer to survey t he site, grade it, construct a foundation, install basic utilities, side an d roof it, install the interior, and the nice-to-haves like doors, windows, steps, walkways,

res,

using a

the basic

chematic,

nt (no

it

and n/c

I just don't see it happening in residential construction as long as we're working with wood for the most part. Wood is good for a lot of reasons, it is renewable, low carbon footprint, readily available and cheap, especially the engineered lumber which uses fast growth wood product. Then this busin ess about the individual taking his plans to a local machine shop, if one e ven exists, is completely divorced from reality. There's no way a local ope ration, small enough to have the time to deal with individuals, is going to be competitive with the big factories that buy the material by the 100-car freight train load. Shipping is not a real big impediment, last working fi gure I saw is something on the order of $1.50/mile for a whole truck load, and an average residence of about 2000-2500 sf may come in at around 40-ton s, maybe two truck loads at most. The panelized people will ship across the whole continent if you want it, but the modular people generally restrict themselves to 500 mile radius of the factory. Another factor in all of this is the labor. The factory model allows the industry to consolidate skilled labor in just a few areas which turns out to be cheaper, faster, and highe r quality work then what the distributed model using local labor can do, mu ch much better actually. As far as computer modeling, the construction indu stry is highly computerized and the mass production factories are also high ly automated, so I don't see the point of the article there.

Reply to
bloggs.fredbloggs.fred

,

ing a

basic

matic,

John Larkin is being his usual imperceptive self. Integrated circuits come is a fairly limited range of packages, as do through-hole resistors and surface mount resistors, and you often put them onto boards sized to fit into standard racking systems.

As with architecture, there are a very large number of ways of putting these standard modules together, and the art is in picking the arrangement that works best for what you to do. Architects have been putting building together from standard-sized modules for a long time now. Levittown is an example.

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It doesn't satisfy a majority of customers.

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Bill Sloman, Sydney
Reply to
Bill Sloman

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you in pieces, and you assemble it, seems to be their idea. You have an infinite number of designs to choose from, all of which can be customized, or you can go custom from scratch, which is not recommended unless you have training and (successful) experience in architectural design. You're not going to get code approval on anything more than a shed with their plywood structure, and without code approval you can't get building permit or construction loan. And plywood is obsolete as a building material, OSB and engineered lumber are the materials of choice and vastly superior in numerous respects, try comparing the cost, it's like 4:1. That article is being used to fill space and awe the clueless. Let's see you use that printer to survey the site, grade it, construct a foundation, install basic utilities, side and roof it, install the interior, and the nice-to-haves like doors, windows, steps, walkways,

using a

basic

schematic,

(no

n/c

working with wood for the most part. Wood is good for a lot of reasons, it is renewable, low carbon footprint, readily available and cheap, especially the engineered lumber which uses fast growth wood product. Then this business about the individual taking his plans to a local machine shop, if one even exists, is completely divorced from reality. There's no way a local operation, small enough to have the time to deal with individuals, is going to be competitive with the big factories that buy the material by the 100-car freight train load. Shipping is not a real big impediment, last working figure I saw is something on the order of $1.50/mile for a whole truck load, and an average residence of about

2000-2500 sf may come in at around 40-tons, maybe two truck loads at most. The panelized people will ship across the whole continent if you want it, but the modular people generally restrict themselves to 500 mile

model allows the industry to consolidate skilled labor in just a few areas which turns out to be cheaper, faster, and higher quality work then what the distributed model using local labor can do, much much better actually. As far as computer modeling, the construction industry is highly computerized and the mass production factories are also highly automated, so I don't see the point of the article there.

We had a big bookshelf/desk/drawer thing built into our downstairs room. It's full-custom, wraps around the corner all curvy and nice, clears two doors, floor to ceiling and about 35 linear feet. It was done by a nearby shelving company from a computer simulation. All the pieces were n/c fabbed in their shop, and edge trims were applied by machine. It installed in about an hour and everything fit perfectly.

Things are very different from 20 years ago. I expect them to be very different

20 years from now.

I can imagine, say, an online furniture store that lets you design something, pick the colors and trim, and fabs it for you. It could be shipped built, or Ikea-like in pieces.

--
John Larkin                  Highland Technology Inc 
www.highlandtechnology.com   jlarkin at highlandtechnology dot com    
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John Larkin

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Yup, I live in a panelized house, built in 1975. We had an energy survey done a few years ago, they found a few air leaks where the panels are joined, otherwise it went very well. The only problem is it is a TOTAL BEAR to run wires in the walls, etc.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

_your_own_house_project/

to

y

They've made significant inroads in the past 37 years. I'm pretty sure they now have raceways in the panels to accommodate the wiring.

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They're showing block masonry there, but for just a little more you can go with custom prefabbed concrete, delivered cured to 5000 psi, doubly reinfor ced, insulated, immune to shrink swell, no footings required (goes on tampe d gravel base), gets craned in place to laser accuracy in a few hours, nati onwide availability, and their field engineers /know/ concrete. http://www. superiorwalls.com/

Reply to
bloggs.fredbloggs.fred

For wiring, I still like the idea of surface (baseboard) mounted conduit that looks like molding I have also seen furring strips and drywall installed over the panels to provide wiring space behind the drywall...

Reply to
Charlie E.

That's dumb, even the foam core SIPs have chases: The Structural Insulated Panels manufactured by Premier SIPs are both simpl e and easy for electricians to wire. It does require a small amount of adva nce planning. 1-½? diameter wiring chases are provided in the panel cor es for quick access by the electricians. The chases are typically located a t 16" and 45? off the finished floor as well as vertically 4' on center. These locations as well as any custom chases should be verified during the shop drawing phase. Type NM-B cable, as labeled by Underwriters Laboratories, passes UL-719 tha t mandates a maximum conductor temperature of 90oC (194oF). The conductor t emperatures under normal loads will not exceed

60oC, due to the restrictions on amperage loading and breaker sensitivity. The wiring used for most residential and light commercial structures, commo nly referred to as ?Romex?, is widely available with the NM-B designati on labeled by UL and is acceptable for use with Premier SIPs. Conventional studded wood panels are even easier, wiring is installed the s ame way as with on-site built.
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bloggs.fredbloggs.fred

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