A Guidebook for the Adoption of Additive Manufacturing in Operations

By Cheng, Y. (2021), Aalborg University

Along with the development of additive manufacturing, more companies start to consider adopting it in their operations. However, most of them are still struggling about how to adopt such emerging technology, as well as how to integrate it with their existing operations.

Addressing this pain point, this book aims to provide guidelines for manufacturing companies, which are believed useful to facilitate them better adopting additive manufacturing in their operations. The book starts with the introduction of additive manufacturing, in terms of its history, technologies, processes, advan­tages/ dis­advan­tages, etc.

Afterwards, the book discusses the adoption of additive manu­factur­ing in operations in terms of addressing three questions, namely

  1. What Companies Want to Achieve by Adopting AM?
  2. Whether it is Possible to Use AM in Operations?
  3. Whether it is Economically Better to Use AM in Operations?

Specific methods, processes, and tools are provided to help companies better adopting additive manufacturing in three scenarios, namely rapid prototyping, rapid tooling, and rapid manufacturing. The book ends with providing suggestions related to where to start the adoption of additive manufacturing.

 

This guidebook is developed based on the project The Application of 3D Printing (3DP) on the Development of Components, Processes, and Supply Chain in the Wind Industry funded by the Wind Industry Association Denmark and the European Fund for Regional Development.

Download the guidebook