Inside the UK's First Open-Access, Pay-As-You-Go Factory
Inside the UK's First Open-Access, Pay-As-You-Go Factory
By making manufacturing technology available and affordable, maker spaces like BLOQS are knocking down barriers.
cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/13167838
[...]Seabound found BLOQS, a 32,000-square-foot converted warehouse in the north London suburb of Enfield, fully kitted out with £1.3 million (around $1.7 million) worth of light industrial equipment for all kinds of manufacturing, including wood processing and metal fabrication, laser cutting and engraving, 3D printing, sewing machines, spray painting and more. If that didn’t already make the case for moving in, the flexible membership structure then quickly sealed the deal for Fredriksson and Wen.
The initial sign-up is free, with members simply paying a daily rate for the machinery they need to use, as well as for flexible office and storage space if they need it. Raw materials are available to purchase too, price-matched with local suppliers. And if members need to learn to use a particular piece of equipment, they can pay for training. An added bonus is the on-site restaurant, where an award-winning chef serves a seasonable and affordable Mediterranean menu. Yet the biggest draw for the Seabound team was the community of 1,000 other like-minded members.
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Isn't this just a "maker-space" with a new marketing name?
Nonono, you see it has factory in the name so it's different.
It’s larger than a typical maker space, and also promotes commercial use.
A manufacturing equivalent of a coworking space, which I suppose is a concept of its own.
It's a slightly different concept.
My local space is very much "join the community, pay the contribution, and help us maintain things/train people".
This is more "pay for a service, and receive it".And quote honestly...I think unless you have a very bombproof community with lots of dedicated people and free time, a more commercial PAYG system may be more effective!
There has definitely been a drift in mine, with more and more skilled members getting fed up, and just leaving to buy their own gear.