Microfabricators

Recent technological enhancements over the last twenty years have fundamentally transformed the way in which consumer products are manufactured. Advances in the speed and capabilities of printing various substances into finished goods has resulted in an explosion of personal microfabricating devices, while innovative entrepreneurs have begun establishing chains of on-demand specialty manufacturers.

These facilities are able to reduce their overhead by storing moderate quantities of raw materials, instead of the finished goods themselves, reducing their footprint and thus cost. Once they receive an order, they manufacture the good and it is delivered via drone, allowing the customer to receive their goods in a matter of hours instead of days.

Customers can select an immense number of potential products from a master online catalogue. Once they find the product that both meets their needs and appeals to them, they can customize their purchase and send the order to the local manufacturer of their choice.

This evolution has also created a new class of businessperson: industrial and mechanical engineers who have the skills and talent to develop templates for various consumer goods. Their designs are then licensed on the global microfabrication catalogue, where anyone can produce a copy of their work for a set, per unit fee.

Some experts have expressed reservations with these new technologies, pointing out their ability to be used to manufacture illicit materials, such as firearms or even more advanced plasma weaponry. The government has been responsive to these concerns, and a raft of regulations have been imposed to help govern the safe and effective use of microfabrication technology.

These changes have had a significant impact on the consumer goods industry, as companies scramble to adapt to changing customer preferences. However, large producers of capital-intensive goods have largely been spared the resulting turmoil, as economies of scale continue to allow them to produce and market their products in a competitive manner.