date-created: '2014-12-12'
date-updated: '2026-01-08'
manifest-author:
    name: Appropedia
    email: admin@appropedia.org
title: 'Reversing the Trend of Large Scale and Centralization in Manufacturing: The Case of Distributed Manufacturing of Customizable 3-D-Printable Self-Adjustable Glasses'
description: "Although the trend in manufacturing has been towards centralization to leverage economies of scale, the recent rapid technical development of open-source 3-D printers enables low-cost distributed bespoke production. This paper explores the potential advantages of a distributed manufacturing model of high-value products by investigating the application of 3-D printing to self-refraction eyeglasses. A series of parametric 3-D printable designs is developed, fabricated and tested to overcome limitations identified with mass-manufactured self-correcting eyeglasses designed for the developing world's poor. By utilizing 3-D printable self-adjustable glasses, communities not only gain access to far more diversity in product design, as the glasses can be customized for the individual, but 3-D printing also offers the potential for significant cost reductions. The results show that distributed manufacturing with open-source 3-D printing can empower developing world communities through the ability to print less expensive and customized self-adjusting eyeglasses."
keywords:
    - 'Distributed manufacturing'
    - '3D printing'
    - glasses
    - 'self-adjustable glasses'
    - 'self-refraction eyeglasses'
project-link: 'https://www.appropedia.org/Reversing_the_Trend_of_Large_Scale_and_Centralization_in_Manufacturing:_The_Case_of_Distributed_Manufacturing_of_Customizable_3-D-Printable_Self-Adjustable_Glasses'
contact:
    name: 'User:J.M.Pearce'
    social:
        platform: Appropedia
        user-handle: 'User:J.M.Pearce'
version: 33
development-stage: Designed
made: false
image: 'https://www.appropedia.org/w/images/b/bf/Custom-glass.png'
license:
    documentation: CC-BY-SA-3.0
licensor:
    name: 'User:J.M.Pearce'
    affliation: 'Category:MOST'
    contact: 'https://www.appropedia.org/User:J.M.Pearce'
documentation-home: 'https://www.appropedia.org/Reversing_the_Trend_of_Large_Scale_and_Centralization_in_Manufacturing:_The_Case_of_Distributed_Manufacturing_of_Customizable_3-D-Printable_Self-Adjustable_Glasses'
documentation-language: en