We are happy to announce that 3DRap.it is the official sponsor of “Fabbricando,” an exhibition organized by Federarchitetti Italia at the Technology Hub fair, which will take place from June 7 to 9 at Fiera Milano City. Below is the official announcement from Federarchitetti:
Our understanding of industrial production today differs from that of the past, especially when it comes to where production is concentrated: no longer in Western countries, but in emerging ones. We also continue to imagine, and to see, a clash between two modes of production in the divide between industrial and artisanal work. At the heart of this clash would be the ability to produce an item in series. According to this view, what distinguishes an industrial process from an artisanal one is product standardization and shorter production times. This view, rooted in Fordist analysis, does not, however, take technological advances into account. Computing combined with industrial machinery (e.g., lasers, computer numerical control, 3D technology) has given even small producers a level of automation, including for individual pieces, that completely overturns the old idea of series production organized on an industrial scale. The issue has always been, and remains, reducing costs and benefiting from economies of scale. Today, however, as anyone can see, the focus of those savings has shifted from production techniques to lower labor costs (relocation to countries where labor costs are very low). The issue becomes much more complex if we look at the entire process of making an object as a complex system, from raw materials and design through manufacturing and, finally, promotion, distribution, and sales. This last stage—promotion, distribution, and sales—has always been the greatest obstacle for young designers and has led to the rediscovery of an old, seemingly unfashionable way of making design objects: self-production. For a little over a decade, the self-production of everyday objects by architects, designers, creatives, artisans, and others has been gaining momentum. They manage the entire chain, from design and production through to marketing the finished object. In recent years, Federarchitetti has come into contact with some of the people working in this field and has become convinced that a new way of producing is emerging, given that traditional industry has been unable to provide adequate answers to the new demands of the market. For this reason, Federarchitetti has sought to bring this new phenomenon to light. Starting in several cities in southern Italy, it went on to participate in the 2016 Milan Furniture Fair, offering self-producers a showcase to introduce their products to the public. Today, it supports the Technology Hub event and is taking part with a conference on the theme: “Self-production with 3D printers too—from architects to creatives,” scheduled for June 7 from 16,00 – 16,30, with the following program:
16,00 – Introduction and moderator:
Carlo Borgazzi, President of the Federarchitetti Milan Section
16,05 – Speakers:
Nazzareno Iarrusso, National President of Federarchitetti
Saverio Spadafora, Laboratory Manager at the Faculty of Architecture, Politecnico di Milano
