Purpose

Additive manufacturing (AM) allows companies to create additional value in the processes of new product development and order fulfillment. One of the challenges for engineers is to identify suitable parts and applications for additive manufacturing. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relation between value creation and the design process. The implications of this relation provide an orientation on the methods for identifying parts and applications for additive manufacturing.

Design/methodology/approach

Mapping the value clusters of AM on design strategies allows determining the expected degree of change in design. A classification into major and minor design changes is introduced to describe the predictability of the impact of AM on past performance and business model. The ability to predict the future properties of an AM part determines the suitability of identification and selection methods from literature. The mapping is validated by an identification process that creates a shortlist of potential AM parts based on the strategic decision for a value cluster. Shortlisted parts are then evaluated based on the criteria technology readiness, required post-processing, customer benefit and manufacturer benefit.

Findings

The mapping of value clusters on expected design changes determines the type of selection process. For minor design changes, automated part identification serves as a powerful tool while major design changes require the judgment of skilled engineers.

Research limitations/implications

The mapping of value clusters to design strategies and degree of change in design is based on empirical observations and conclusions. The mapping has been validated in an industrial context in different identification and selection processes. Nevertheless the versatility of AM and industrial environments impede a universal validity of high-level concepts.

Practical implications

This value-driven process of identification and selection was applied in technology transfer projects and proved to be useful for AM novices and experts. The mapping supports the identification and selection process, as well as the general product development process by providing an indication of the design effort for implementing AM.

Originality/value

The novel mapping links the economic domain of value creation to the engineering domain of design strategies to provide guidance in the selection of economically and technically suitable parts for additive manufacturing.

中文翻译：

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在设计策略上映射增材制造的价值集群，以支持零件识别和选择

目的

增材制造（AM）使公司可以在新产品开发和订单履行过程中创造附加价值。工程师面临的挑战之一是为增材制造确定合适的零件和应用。本文的目的是研究价值创造与设计过程之间的关系。这种关系的含义为识别零件的方法和增材制造的应用提供了方向。

设计/方法/方法

将AM的价值集群映射到设计策略可以确定设计的预期变化程度。引入了对主要和次要设计更改的分类，以描述AM对过去的性能和业务模型的影响的可预测性。预测AM零件未来特性的能力决定了文献中鉴定和选择方法的适用性。映射过程由标识过程验证，该过程根据价值集群的战略决策创建潜在AM零件的候选清单。然后根据标准技术准备，所需的后处理，客户利益和制造商利益来评估入围的零件。

发现

价值集群在预期设计变更上的映射决定了选择过程的类型。对于较小的设计更改，自动零件识别可作为强大的工具，而主要的设计更改则需要熟练的工程师进行判断。

研究局限/意义

价值集群对设计策略和设计变更程度的映射基于经验观察和结论。该映射已在不同识别和选择过程的工业环境中得到验证。尽管如此，增材制造和工业环境的多功能性阻碍了高级概念的普遍有效性。

实际影响

这种以价值为导向的识别和选择过程已应用于技术转让项目中，并证明对AM新手和专家很有用。映射通过提供用于实施AM的设计工作的指示来支持标识和选择过程以及一般的产品开发过程。

创意/价值

新颖的映射将价值创造的经济领域与设计策略的工程领域联系起来，从而为增材制造的经济和技术上合适的零件的选择提供指导。