A review of Additive Manufacturing technology and Cost Estimation techniques for the defence sector

Abstract

Additive Manufacturing" (AM) is a promising technology which will provide major advantages to Defence Support Service providers, given its ability of delocalised manufacturing near the point of use. The technology is gaining increasing interest due to its disruptive potential. AM groups together a wide range of different approaches which have the ability to convert a 3D file into a physical product by depositing layer upon layer of material. AM is still under development and considered an immature technology. This immaturity provides high level of uncertainty around key indicators such as time and cost. These indicators represent also key decision variables to evaluate AM and compare it with traditional manufacturing. This review paper represents an investigation of existing knowledge on AM and aims to present to the reader the various AM approaches with a detailed focus on the most applicable technologies to Defence Support Services. The paper is structured as follows, firstly the various technologies of AM and their economic aspects are presented, secondly the cost modelling techniques are investigated and finally a discussion is carried out. The contribution of this paper is to present to Defence Support Service stakeholders the various AM technologies and cost modelling techniques for measuring the product or service cost.

3D printing for chemical, pharmaceutical and biological applications

“…A more detailed description of these print processes is summarised below (Table 1) as well as in several recent reviews. [2][3][4][5] Ultimately, considerations including required print resolution, speed, cost and material determine the selection of the 3 appropriate printing process for the desired chemistry application. This review aims to outline the diverse scope of research undertaken with respect to the application of 3D printing within the field of chemistry, as well as highlighting future research directions and the challenges that need to be overcome.…”

Impact Assessment of Additive Manufacturing on Sustainable Business Models in Industry 4.0 Context

“…The increasing popularity of additive manufacturing comes from its ability to produce flexibly, with a simplified logistics, expanding the possibility of creating new markets. The automotive [8], the aerospace [9,10] and defence industries [11] were some of the first industries to adopt additive manufacturing technology in prototyping processes, with benefits in customising products, designing complex tools and parts, reducing costs and time to market and creating a new design and much lighter products. The European additive manufacturing platform identifies two distinct markets for additive manufacturing: the industrial market that includes the medical, aerospace and automotive sectors and consumer market, which includes accessories and entertainment [12].…”

Optimization of Process Parameters to Improve the Effective Area of Deposition in GMAW-Based Additive Manufacturing and its Mechanical and Microstructural Analysis

“…Layer-by-layer addition of materials is a more efficient way of manufacturing in terms of time and cost compared with conventional subtractive manufacturing [1,2]. Additive manufacturing is being used for manufacturing expensive and difficult to process parts, and can also be used to repair damaged parts [3,4]. Laser energy, electron beam, and wire arc differ in terms of their deposition rates and dimensional accuracies, with laser and electron beam techniques eliciting finer deposition responses [5,6].…”