In English lessons, we practice analytical writing and critical thinking skills through responding to the graphs and questions in Makers: The New Industrial Revolution by Chris Anderson. Describe the graph "Two Ways to Make a Duck":
- The graph compares the production cost per unit of rubber ducks using the injection molding and 3-D printing methods.
- The curve represents method 1 of injection molding, or traditional manufacturing. It includes the $10,000 initial cost of the mold and the $0.20 cost of materials per duck. However, it does not include the cost of the machine or time.
- The horizontal line represents method 2 of 3-D printing, and includes a fixed cost of $20 per duck for time and materials. However, it does not include the cost of the 3-D printer.
- If there is a mass production of a large quantity of ducks, then choose method 1. However, if there are a limited number of ducks to manufacture, then choose method 2.
Made on a 3-D printer, the first ducky might run you just $20, but sadly so will the millionth—there is no economy of scale. If you injection-mold your ducks in a factory, though, the old fashioned way, the first may cost $10,000—for tooling the mold—but every one after that amortizes the initial outlay. By the time you’ve made a million, they cost just pennies apiece for the raw material. For small batches of a few hundred duckies, digital fabrication now wins. For big batches, the old analog way is still best.Anderson describes injection molding as the old fashioned, old analog way while praising 3-D printing as digital fabrication. His description takes a more conversational tone with expressions like just pennies, a few hundred duckies, and big batches. Basically, traditional manufacturing is analog whereas the new industrial revolution is digital. Here are some new vocabulary:
- to run: to cost
- the initial outlay: the initial cost, or investment
- apiece: per, each
- small batch: limited quantity
- big batch: large quantity