Because we need Open Hardware manufacturing. A lot.

CNC means “Computer Numerical Control”. CNC Machining is (source) “a manufacturing process in which pre-programmed computer software dictates the movement of factory tools and machinery”.

The PolarBear is a really interesting project aiming to design a multi-purpose CNC machine, that is a single device that can work, depending on how you configure and drive it, as “a 3d printer, a CNC milling machine, or whatever you think it can do”.

The PolarBear is interesting because, while it is not designed to be a complete replacement for existing, single-purpose machines, according to its developer it has advantages that such machines lack:

• In most cases it can work faster, and sometimes even more smoothly than single purpose machines, that is produce pieces of higher quality
• The rotary axis makes it possible to work on different surfaces of the workpiece, rather than just vertical ones.
• It could easily add other functions: “It only takes a minute to switch between CNC milling and 3d printing”

I do not know how PolarBear will end, nor can I exclude that it has some conceptual flaw, or technical limit, that may severely reduce its usefulness. But it’s great to see different designs and experiments in this space, so I wish PolarBear success, and invite everybody to check it out!

For more technical details, see the PolarBear GitHub page.