Incentives and challenges for adopting AM technology in the plastic industry

Problem definition Additive manufacturing is a technology that has received a lot of attention and many are wondering how it will affect them plastic industry in the future. Additive manufacturing is mostly used for prototyping today but there is reason to believe that the technology has potential to overtake other application areas for plastic or used as a complementary method to existing manufacturing technologies. Purpose The purpose of the thesis is to identify, describe and evaluate the incentives and challenges manufacturing companies in the plastic industry are facing when adopting AM-technologies. Methodology In this thesis the approach is going to be a combination of descriptive and exploratory together with deductive approach. The study is qualitative and based on gathered information from six interviews with plastic manufacturing companies, six qualitative surveys with people from the AM industry, complementary interviews and event participation. The empirics are summarized in Hill´s manufacturing strategy and the results are analysed with the resistance model. Conclusion The conclusion can be summarized in incentives and challenges for adopting additive manufacturing in the plastic industry. Incentives: Can lead to shorter lead times No tool investment for injection moulding Ability to decentralize production Reducing material waste Possible to pursue mass customization Challenges: Long Cycle time Size of build area and quality Lacking design capabilities within plastic manufacturing companies Material shortage for AM Fragmented application areas for AM Lacking of experience of which products that are suitable to produce with AM Repeatability Reparability of the machines and ability to automate the AM proces