Perspectives of operational additive manufacturing: Case Studies from the Czech aerospace industry

Abstract

This manuscript examines the results of a quantitative and qualitative survey on Additive Manufacturing in the Czech Republic, specifically the adoption within the aerospace industry. The study conducted in 2016 and 2017 provides a general understanding of the implementation. To better gauge the experience, two intensive interviews provide a candid perspective of the challenges encountered. The discussion depicts the central issues that each enterprise encounters during this transition from traditional to Additive Manufacturing. The findings reveal that, although the transformation is on-going, a solid knowledge base remains a critical element to successful deployment.

A Comparative Investigation of Properties of Metallic Parts Additively Manufactured through MEX and PBF-LB/M Technologies

“…Additive Manufacturing is an increasingly utilized technology for producing a wide diversity of components [ 1 ]. Although initially used solely for prototyping purposes, with polymers being the most commonly used materials, it is now increasingly employed for manufacturing functional parts applied in demanding branches of industry such as aviation, automotive, energy, bioengineering, and medicine [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. The expansion of additive manufacturing technologies is associated with the advantages it offers in comparison to conventional manufacturing methods [ 6 ].…”

Stakeholder Perspectives on the Current and Future of Additive Manufacturing in Healthcare

“…Similarly, although technological advances on AM systems are common in the academic field[ 56 ], systems currently in use are limited by bed size, build time, technical expertise, and post processing requirements[ 40 ]. The previous surveys have mentioned the scalability of AM as a constraint to cost reduction and future implementation, with numerous machines required to attain a comparable rate of production to traditional processes[ 36 , 57 ]. While this may be true for AM to fully penetrate all production markets, it is necessary to recognize that AM has its own natural drawbacks and, as any other manufacturing process, it should be used where its inherent benefits can be exploited.…”

“…As a result of limited regulations, manufacturing firms were required to develop their own capabilities and specific know-how highly regarded as an asset to ensure competitiveness during early AM implementation[ 36 ]. Similarly, the new change in paradigm brought from conventional manufacturing seeps into the basic tools commonly used in these applications.…”

“…Jirsák et al . [ 36 ] reported that aerospace AM manufacturers needed to increase operational costs due to post processing to match surface requirements obtained through previous “traditional” techniques. In medical devices, the rationale for surface treatment is heavily based on the potential cytotoxic effect of unprocessed materials or surface modifications to enhance cell adhesion[ 27 , 28 ].…”

A review on additive manufacturing for aerospace application

“…AM is an attractive tool for the aerospace industry in building parts or components from expensive materials [5] at minimal cost compared with the conventional manufacturing process with the ability to fabricate parts with unbounded geometric freedom [6]. Additive manufacturing is limited to prototyping, and the success can be improved by developing relevant software, embedding the hardware, and knowledge source [7]. Apart from manufacturing critical parts, the maintenance time and cost can be saved through the factors such as prototyping, tooling, fixtures, jigs, part repair, and spare part production [8][9][10].…”