Exploration of Various Methods for Cost Considerations in Additive Manufacturing

Author(s):  
Andrea Piazza ◽  
Kyle Bielanos ◽  
Beshoy Morkos

Technology advancements in additive manufacturing allow for useful design optimization, especially in the field of integration (single components with multiple functions). The design process of a component includes considerations of design aspects, such as part geometry with respect to anticipated load conditions, chemical affinity due to possible adverse interaction of non-similar metals, weather conditions not predicted by applied coatings or protection systems and manufacturing design constraints. Due to reduced manufacturing constraints, additive manufacturing brings advantages such as reduced assembly time, higher part performance, and much greater geometric freedom. The following study explores the advantages and quantifies the cost optimization factors, such as manufacturing and assembly costs and material considerations, when assemblies and/or single components are replaced with an additively manufactured part, in mass produced and small volume applications. A relative part replacement cost function will be produced to show the feasibility of changeover to an additive manufactured part, furthermore two case studies will be analyzed and a new case study will be conducted and compared. Additive manufacturing costs, due to the popularization of different techniques, are constantly dropping and, therefore, are becoming valuable options in small to medium scale manufacturing operations as a way to reduce assembly costs and increase design performance.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahyar Khorasani ◽  
AmirHossein Ghasemi ◽  
Bernard Rolfe ◽  
Ian Gibson

Purpose Additive manufacturing (AM) offers potential solutions when conventional manufacturing reaches its technological limits. These include a high degree of design freedom, lightweight design, functional integration and rapid prototyping. In this paper, the authors show how AM can be implemented not only for prototyping but also production using different optimization approaches in design including topology optimization, support optimization and selection of part orientation and part consolidation. This paper aims to present how AM can reduce the production cost of complex components such as jet engine air manifold by optimizing the design. This case study also identifies a detailed feasibility analysis of the cost model for an air manifold of an Airbus jet engine using various strategies, such as computer numerical control machining, printing with standard support structures and support optimization. Design/methodology/approach Parameters that affect the production price of the air manifold such as machining, printing (process), feedstock, labor and post-processing costs were calculated and compared to find the best manufacturing strategy. Findings Results showed that AM can solve a range of problems and improve production by customization, rapid prototyping and geometrical freedom. This case study showed that 49%–58% of the cost is related to pre- and post-processing when using laser-based powder bed fusion to produce the air manifold. However, the cost of pre- and post-processing when using machining is 32%–35% of the total production costs. The results of this research can assist successful enterprises, such as aerospace, automotive and medical, in successfully turning toward AM technology. Originality/value Important factors such as validity, feasibility and limitations, pre-processing and monitoring, are discussed to show how a process chain can be controlled and run efficiently. Reproducibility of the process chain is debated to ensure the quality of mass production lines. Post-processing and qualification of the AM parts are also discussed to show how to satisfy the demands on standards (for surface quality and dimensional accuracy), safety, quality and certification. The original contribution of this paper is identifying the main production costs of complex components using both conventional and AM.


Author(s):  
Yan Lu ◽  
Paul Witherell ◽  
Felipe Lopez ◽  
Ibrahim Assouroko

Software tools, knowledge of materials and processes, and data provide three pillars on which Additive Manufacturing (AM) lifecycles and value chains can be supported. These pillars leverage efforts dedicated to the development of AM databases, high-fidelity models, and design and planning support tools. However, as of today, it remains a challenge to integrate distributed AM data and heterogeneous predictive models in software tools to drive a more collaborative AM development environment. In this paper, we describe the development of an analytical framework for integrated and collaborative AM development. Information correlating material, product design, process planning and manufacturing operations are captured and managed in the analytical framework. A layered structure is adopted to support the composability of data, models and knowledge bases. The key technologies to enable composability are discussed along with a suite of tools that assist designers in the management of data, models and knowledge components. A proof-of-concept case study demonstrates the potential of the AM analytical framework.


Author(s):  
Graeme Sabiston ◽  
Luke Ryan ◽  
Il Yong Kim

As the field of design for additive manufacturing continues to evolve and accelerate towards admitting more robust designs requiring fewer instances of user-intervention, we will see the conventional design cycle evolve dramatically. However, to fully take advantage of this emerging technology — particularly with respect to large scale manufacturing operations — considerations of productivity from a fiscal perspective are sure to become of the utmost importance. A mathematical model incorporating the cost and time factors associated with additive manufacturing processes has been developed and implemented as a multi-weighted single-objective topology optimization algorithm. The aforementioned factors have been identified as component surface area and volume of support material. These quantities are optimized alongside compliance, producing a design tool that gives the user the option to choose the relative weighting of performance over cost. In two academic examples, minimization of compliance alongside surface area and support structure volume yield geometries demonstrating that considerable decreases in support material in particular can be achieved without sacrificing significant part compliance.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
José A. Orosa ◽  
Ángel M. Costa ◽  
Diego Vergara ◽  
Feliciano Fraguela

There are different monitoring procedures in wind farms with two main objectives: (i) to improve energy production by the capability of the national electrical network and (ii) to reduce the stooped hours due to preventive and or corrective maintenance activities. In this sense, different sensors are employed to sample in real-time the working conditions of equipment, the electrical production and the weather conditions. Despite this, just the anemometer measurement can be related to the more important errors of interruption of power regulation and anemometer errors. Both errors are related to gusty winds and contribute to more than 33% of the cost of a wind farm. The present paper reports some mathematical relations between weather and maintenance but there are no extreme values of each variable that let us predict a near failure and its corresponding loss of working hours. To achieve this, statistical analysis identifies the relation between weather variables and errors and different models are obtained. What is more, due to the difficulty and economic implications involving the implementation of complex algorithms and techniques of artificial intelligence, it is still a challenge to optimize this process. Finally, the obtained results show a particular case study that can be extrapolated to other wind farms after different case studies to adjust the model to different weather regions, and serve as a useful tool for weather maintenance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.35) ◽  
pp. 431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fathoni Usman ◽  
Nur Adibah Jalaluddin ◽  
Sumi Amariena Hamim

Implementation of Value Engineering (VE) in the construction industry has become a proven technique for cost optimization. This paper presents a review of the implementation of BIM in construction industry. The factors that triggered and hinder the implementation of VE and BIM in the current industry and a case study of the application of VE using BIM for cost optimization of renovation works are also discussed. The project which was used for the case study is the renovation of shop lot units to be used as a student centre where student activities will be placed. 3D models of the project were developed as BIM model that provide strong visualization when creating alternatives for VE processes. The function analysis, risk analysis and life-cycle cost analysis were applied to determine the value index for each developed alternative. It shows that the implementation had successfully reduced the cost by approximately 27% and the value of the project increased after the process.


Materials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joaquim Minguella-Canela ◽  
Sergio Morales Planas ◽  
Joan Gomà Ayats ◽  
M. de los Santos López

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are appropriate manufacturing technologies to produce low rotation products of high added value. Products in the spare parts business usually have discontinuous demand levels of reduced numbers of parts. Indeed, spare parts inventories handle myriad of products that require big immobilized investments while having an intrinsic risk of no-use (for example due to obsolescence or spoilage). Based on these issues, the present work analyses the fundamental cost factors in a real case study of a company dedicated to the supply of spare parts for fluid conduction systems. Real inventory data is assessed to determine the product taxonomy and its associated costs. A representative product of the stock is analyzed in detail on original manufacturing costs, in AM costs and then redesigned with topological optimization to reduce the AM cost levels (via design for additive manufacturing). A general equation for cost assessment is formulated. Given the specific data collected from the company, the parameters in this general equation are calculated. Finally, the general equation and the product cost reduction achieved are used to explore the potential economic impact of the use of AM technologies in the cost levels of manufacturing and stocking of spare part products.


Author(s):  
Sai Nithin Reddy K. ◽  
Vincent Maranan ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson ◽  
Todd Palmer ◽  
Corey J. Dickman

Topology optimization is a well-established engineering practice to optimize the design and layout of parts to create lightweight and low-cost structures, which have historically been difficult, or impossible, to make. Additive Manufacturing (AM) provides the freedom to fabricate the complex and organic shapes that topology optimization often generates. In this paper we use topology optimization to create lightweight designs while conforming to additive manufacturing constraints related to overhanging features and unsupported surfaces when using metallic materials. More specifically, we use design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) rules along with topology optimization to study the tradeoffs between the weight of the part, support requirements, manufacturing costs, and performance. The case study entails redesigning an upright on the SAE Formula student racecar to reduce support structures and manufacturing and material cost when using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS). Manufacturing the optimized design without applying DfAM rules required support material up to 202.4% of the volume of the model. Using DfAM, the upright is redesigned and manufactured with supports requiring less than 15% of the volume of the model. The results demonstrate the challenges in achieving a balance between weight reduction, manufacturing costs, and factor of safety of the design.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-43
Author(s):  
Saras Ayu Faradita ◽  
Vinky Rahman

The fire incident in karaoke buildings in Indonesia which claimed many lives has occurred several times. According to the National Academy of Science US, the smoke toxins that come out of the fire disaster cause 50-80% of deaths. Refers to the data, it is necessary to check further about the building material response to fire during a fire incident. Masterpiece Signature Karaoke is a karaoke building that classified as large and magnificent in the city of Medan which has various material so that it is necessary to study the interior material as passive fire protection. The purpose is to find out how to assess the reliability of fire passive protection regard to the interior materials and recommendations or descriptions of right interior material planning using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). This method is efficacious to solve the problem of reliability in using interior materials as passive fire protection in Masterpiece Signature Family KTV Medan building with the results of an Adequate Level of reliability. Then, design recommendations were given for the use of interior materials in karaoke building to improve the reliability results to be better.The results are useful as information for other researchers and karaoke buildings regarding passive fire protection systems at the Masterpiece Signature Family KTV Medan.


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