Analysis of rapid manufacturing—using layer manufacturing processes for production

Abstract

R apid prototyping (R P) technologies that have emerged over the last 15 years are all based on the principle of creating three-dimensional geometries directly from computer aided design (CAD ) by stacking two-dimensional pro les on top of each other. To date most R P parts are used for prototyping or tooling purposes; however, in future the majority may be produced as end-use products. The term 'rapid manufacturing' in this context uses R P technologies as processes for the production of end-use products.This paper reports ndings from a cost analysis that was performed to compare a traditional manufacturing route (injection moulding) with layer manufacturing processes (stereolithography, fused deposition modelling and laser sintering) in terms of the unit cost for parts made in various quantities. The results show that, for some geometries, it is more economical to use layer manufacturing methods than it is to use traditional approaches for production in the thousands.

Design for Additive Manufacturing: Trends, opportunities, considerations, and constraints

“…This results in a higher and more plausible cost for lower production volumes and predicts higher costs for higher production volumes [277]. As a result, Ruffo et al predict a lower break-even point between LS and injection moulding for the smaller part from [148] (9000 vs. 14,000 pieces).…”

“…Hopkinson and Dickens [148] proposed one of the earliest generic AM cost models. This model assumes that one product will be produced on the same machine for the entire economic lifespan of the machine.…”

“…49. Cost per part vs. the number of parts produced estimated using the model from [276] applied to the lever from [148].…”

“…Table 2 shows the relative contribution of AM machine cost to the total product cost for FDM, SL, and SLS for a plastic hinge (Fig. 50) from 2003 [148] and for EBM and DMLS build plates with a variety of parts (Fig. 51) from 2016 [38].…”

Structure/property (constitutive and dynamic strength/damage) characterization of additively manufactured 316L SS

“…AM offers increased efficiencies in energy, cost, and material savings in manufacturing [1][2][3][4][5]. However, for AM materials or components to supplant conventional manufactured materials and processes, the certification and qualification paradigm needs to evolve as there exists no "ASTM-type" additive manufacturing certified process or AM-material produced specifications.…”