Micro-factories

Micro- and desktop factories are small-size production systems suitable for the manufacture of small products with micro- and/or macro-size features. The development originates in Japan, where small machines were developed in order to save resources when producing small products. In the late 1990s, the research spread around the world, and since then multiple miniaturized production systems, both academic and commercial, have been developed. Academic research literature speculates with several advantages of using miniaturized production equipment ranging from reduced use of energy and other resources to better operator ergonomics, and from greater equipment flexibility to ubiquitous manufacturing (manufacturing on the spot). This paper will give a thorough introduction to existing micro-factory solutions and their potential application areas. It will also discuss the benefits of miniaturized production systems compared to traditional larger scale systems from three sustainability perspectives, namely environmental, economic, and social ones.