AM Management
Additive Manufacturing (AM) Management is interested in operating AM technology in an efficiency-driven setting, such as a commercial business. This is usually involves creating, operating, and controlling an AM system that takes in a variety of resources to make useful products.
Since AM is different from other, more conventional, manufacturing technologies, there are a number of challenges to the successful operation of AM technology. The areas of AM management we are currently investigating include:
- Accurately measuring the financial cost of AM, taking into account the effects of using the available capacity and the risk of process failure
- Measuring and minimising the energy consumed by AM systems and their waste streams
- Organising the workflow of AM, usually based on advanced computational approaches, to find optimised solutions
- Characterising the production losses that occur in AM and ensuring that these are minimised
- Investigating the complexity of AM products and understanding whether this complexity can be created free of cost
We have a long track record of research in this area, and we have worked with many industrial partners operating and developing AM technologies. We frequently organise and join workshops and outreach events on these topics. This has led to many practical improvements in industry as well as cutting-edge research ideas. If you are interested in the management of AM, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Papers and Reports
The impact of the risk of build failure on energy consumption in additive manufacturing
Reducing production losses in additive manufacturing using overall equipment effectiveness
The economics of 3DP
3D Printing Production Planning
Key contact
Dr Martin Baumers