Shini Somara and Spark Park TV introduce the Digital Forming Platform and our closed beta demo on UCODO.com. The Digital Forming Platform comprises of software and supply chain that can be licensed to designers, lifestyle brands and design houses to allow their customers to get involved with the design process of products.

Digital Forming Technology

The Digital Forming Platform is comprised of:

1)The Digital Forming Interface – Our intuitive co-design software which allows individuals to customize their bespoke products online by co-designing / co-creating with professional product designers. Users can view and adjust products in 3D, and in real time. For the first time ever, customers are able to adjust the shape, surface design, colour and material of their chosen products within the bounds of the possible. The co-design interface is driven by the original designer and intelligent software which will not allow the consumer to take the product design to a point where it is no longer aesthetically appealing, structurally sound or fit for function. So all a customer needs to do is enjoy the experience. The software will then process the design into CAD data, which is sent directly for manufacturing over the web; and  

2) A manufacturing supply chain -  A consequential supply chain that will process, manufacture and deliver unique products to customers within 2 weeks. This is made possible using Additive Manufacturing technologies.
The Digital Forming Platform and customization interface can easily be rebranded for a partnering brand and will either be integrated with their website or can be accessed by customers at computer terminals in stores. The concept can be applied to products such as jewellery, sunglasses, shoes, fashion, sportswear, homeware, lighting etc, and can even be used to create ‘made-to-fit’ products at affordable cost with 3D scanning technology.

As we propose a solution for ‘mass customization’, the manufacturing chain we offer to partner brands taps into Additive Manufacturing technology  – the only existing manufacturing technology that would make such a proposal viable. Hence, our proposition is an end-to-end solution for our partners.

Additive Manufacturing Technology

Once a bespoke product has been created in virtual 3D over the web, our platform will manage the consequential supply chain involved with delivering that product to the customer within a matter of weeks. 'Mass customization' is made possible using a mature technology which has been in existence since 1986, known as Additive Manufacturing. 

Additive Manufacturing – more commonly referred to as ‘3D Printing’ – is cited by many industry experts as marking a shift towards an Industrial Revolution of the Digital Age. It is a layer based manufacturing process, which uses types of plastics and metals in powder or liquid form. 

Manufacturing systems of this type consist of a combination of a computer system, together with a fabrication machine, which builds solid products, layer by layer, under computer control. High intensity lasers within the machine fuse new layers of material to old layers, building the object over a number of hours. 
This video shows the manufacturing process on an EOS machine, which is laser-sintering a steel product directly from CAD data. The Digital Forming Platform links directly to Additive Manufacturing machines and 3D Printers like these. The Platform allows anyone to co-design and co-create products over the web in conjunction with professional product designers and brands, so allowing them to create bespoke and unique products at the click of a button... [Video Source: BKL Lasertechnik, Polymould, EOS] 

Additive Manufacturing has many remarkable benefits compared to traditional mass production techniques:

  • Rapid - It can build unique and complex parts rapidly over a number of hours.
  • Affordable – Additive Manufacturing eliminates tooling, set-up and some labour costs. It can produce parts of far superior complexity that can consist      of one or more movable components without the need for assembly. Hence,it is the only viable manufacturing process for 'mass customisation'.
  • Less Waste - There is considerably less material waste than traditional manufacturing techniques.
  • Environmentally Friendly - ‘Local’ manufacturing results in a lower carbon footprint and materials can include recycled plastics.
  • Competitive – With no upfront costs for moulds, manufacturing on-demand promotes a positive cash flow.
  • Flexible Design – The absence of moulds allows for complex geometries to be created without difficulty.