Towards a Sustainable and Economic Selection of Part Candidates for Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing has a high potential for improving time and cost efficiency as well as functionality of products in many branches. Today potential users struggle with the integration of this technology in their businesses. The production costs of this technology often seem too high compared to traditionally manufactured parts and many users seem disappointed with the performance of the technology. One of the crucial points for bringing the technology to new users and new industries is the appropriate selection of feasible part candidates. A systematic selection of parts is crucial for the sustainable and successful use and integration of additive manufacturing into existing businesses. The selection needs to be based on technical, economical and strategic aspects. This paper presents a methodology to help end users to find appropriate part candidates, which are capable of bringing AM into their businesses. The concept furthermore includes approaches for redesigning current available parts and helps to estimate the economic implications of the use of the technology.Mechanical Engineerin