Fabricatable Machines

Abstract

Digital fabrication is changing the way we design and manufacture the objects around us. Digital fabrication machines enable mass-customisation. However, customising the machines themselves requires a high amount of expertise, which prevents even advanced users from taking part in the creation of bespoke fabrication tools. We present Fabricatable Machines, an open-source toolkit for designing custom fabrication machines. We designed a linear motion module, The Fabricatable Axis, that provides robust automated linear motion. The Fabricatable Axis can be resized, adjusted, and fabricated from different materials. Users can build machines by combining multiple axes. We optimised the design of the axis to be manufactured using a CNC mill, with few externally sourced parts. We observed users creating machines including portable milling machines, 3D printers, and pipe inspection robots using the Fabricatable Machines Toolkit.