Additive Manufacturing for Volume Production : A case study in supply chain benefits of AM implementation

Sammanfattning: Additive manufacturing was first introduced in the 80s and has ever since been used as a tool for rapid prototyping. Its flexible manufacturing characteristics makes it optimal for creating complex geometries in one manufacturing process, eliminating assembly time for several individual parts. Additive manufacturing has yet not been introduced as a tool for volume manufacturing. This has historically been because of quality concerns in printing as well as printing speed. Recent technique developments mitigated these issues and the case for additive manufacturing in volume production is revaluated in a context of supply chain benefits in this study.  The primary data was collected using interviews at the case company. Additionally official company document was used as empirical data, in conjunction with a scientific literature review to achieve data triangulation.  The results were then analyzed using a system dynamics approach. Finally, a conceptual solution of a present-day supply chain setup with additive manufacturing integration is presented. The analysis resulted in a solution where additive manufacturing capabilities were integrated at or near the location of the outsourced production and assembly services. This can act as a production buffer to mitigate issues related to variability in shipping. This technique can be implemented without significant alterations to the present supply chain practices. However, in order to reap the full benefits, i.e., gaining flexibility in production as greater design freedom, of using additive manufacturing, the design process must be adapted for the additive manufacturing technique.