TY - JOUR
T1 - Smart additive manufacturing
T2 - the path to the digital value chain
AU - Araújo, Nuno
AU - Pacheco, Vânia
AU - Costa, Leonardo
N1 - Funding Information:
In a study carried out in 2019, as part of a project financed by the European Regional Development Fund (Grant Number: POCI-02-0853-FEDER-000041), testimonies were collected from Portuguese metalworking companies that had adopted AM technology. One of the companies, which made cutlery, used AM technology to evaluate and validate prototypes after collaborating on designs with their customers []. Another company, which produced hospital equipment, declared that: “The use of additive manufacturing technology (3D printing) in the creative and production process allowed, above all, to introduce significant improvements in the design and manufacture of some components.” Specifically, their production involved concept studies that informed the testing and application of components as well as the development of a digital interface for some devices. The increased number of iterations in the manufacturing process accelerated the time to market (through the 3D printing of prototypes) and, consequently, reduced manufacturing risks and issues in various phases of production. In short, the introduction of AM technology allowed internal improvements through the redesign and the creation of new components as well reduced setup time, time to market, and transformation costs (human and material resources). It also encouraged the company to reconsider its production process and storage and logistics issues so they could better plan for a future of bespoke digital production.
Funding Information:
This research was funded by POR NORTE2020, under the Portugal2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); Grant Number: NORTE-01-0246-FEDER-000049.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors.
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - The aim of this article is to characterize the impacts of Smart Additive Manufacturing (SAM) on industrial production, digital supply chains (DSCs) and corresponding digital value chains (DVCs), logistics and inventory management. The method used consists of a critical review of the literature, enriched by the authors’ field experience. The results show that digital transformation of manufacturing is affecting business models, from resource acquisition to the end user. Smart manufacturing is considered a successful improvement introduced by Industry 4.0. Additive Manufacturing (AM) plays a crucial role in this digital transformation, changing the way manufacturers think about the entire lifecycle of a product. SAM combines AM in a smart factory environment. SAM reduces the complexity of DSCs and contributes to a more flexible approach to logistics and inventory management. It has also spurred the growth and popularization of customized mass production as well as decentralized manufacturing, rapid prototyping, unprecedented flexibility in product design, production and delivery, and resource efficiency and sustainability. SAM technology impacts all five Fletcher’s stages in DVCs. However, the need for clear definitions and regulations on 3D printing of digital files and their reproduction, as well as product health, safety, and integrity issues, cannot be ignored. Furthermore, investment in this technology is still expensive and can be prohibitive for many companies, namely SMEs.
AB - The aim of this article is to characterize the impacts of Smart Additive Manufacturing (SAM) on industrial production, digital supply chains (DSCs) and corresponding digital value chains (DVCs), logistics and inventory management. The method used consists of a critical review of the literature, enriched by the authors’ field experience. The results show that digital transformation of manufacturing is affecting business models, from resource acquisition to the end user. Smart manufacturing is considered a successful improvement introduced by Industry 4.0. Additive Manufacturing (AM) plays a crucial role in this digital transformation, changing the way manufacturers think about the entire lifecycle of a product. SAM combines AM in a smart factory environment. SAM reduces the complexity of DSCs and contributes to a more flexible approach to logistics and inventory management. It has also spurred the growth and popularization of customized mass production as well as decentralized manufacturing, rapid prototyping, unprecedented flexibility in product design, production and delivery, and resource efficiency and sustainability. SAM technology impacts all five Fletcher’s stages in DVCs. However, the need for clear definitions and regulations on 3D printing of digital files and their reproduction, as well as product health, safety, and integrity issues, cannot be ignored. Furthermore, investment in this technology is still expensive and can be prohibitive for many companies, namely SMEs.
KW - Industry 4.0
KW - Smart additive manufacturing
KW - Logistics
KW - Inventory management
KW - Digital supply chains
KW - Digital value chains
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85145939088
U2 - 10.3390/technologies9040088
DO - 10.3390/technologies9040088
M3 - Article
SN - 2227-7080
VL - 9
SP - 1
EP - 13
JO - Technologies
JF - Technologies
IS - 4
M1 - 88
ER -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals