With the growing number of 3D printers and CNC machines in garages and home offices, it seems possible to develop a decentralized manufacturing network where businesses order machined or printed parts, and the order is routed to the nearest manufacturing node, printed or machined, then shipped across town, rather than across the country.

I am aware of some 3D printing services where you can send models for printing, but as far as I know, these are just remote access to a central print farm.

There would also be challenges of standardization, quality consistency, and other issues that arise when parts are not manufactured by the same equipment in a single facility, but these are solvable problems.

Just thinking out loud on the webernetz. Mean replies only.