Comparison of Process Chains of Additive and Conventional Manufacturing

Abstract

AbstractNumerous companies are thinking about using additive manufacturing in their production processes to leverage expected potentials such as higher flexibility, reduced costs around tools, jigs, and spare parts as well as a reduction of costs and times for manufacturing of complex goods. A substitution of an existing subtractive production process is what comes to their mind most of the time. They hope for a better material efficiency and an easier and cheaper way to produce small batches of products. The factual circumstances, however, are often much more complex than some companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), initially assume. To give companies a clearer idea of the implications of using additive manufacturing, a rough filter model and a comparison of process chains of additive and conventional manufacturing is presented in this paper. The analysis consists of both the digital as well as the physical process chain and thereby provides a holistic picture of changes that are implied by the usage of additive manufacturing. In order to provide a clear reference for manufacturing companies, the report also discusses facts that have been discovered in cooperation with an SME during the production of real customer parts.KeywordsAdditive manufacturingProcess chainEfficiency