Additive Manufacturing-Enabled Supply Chain: Modeling and Case Studies on Local, Integrated Production-Inventory-Transportation Structure

2021 ◽  
pp. 102471
Author(s):  
Weiwei Cui ◽  
Yiran Yang ◽  
Lei Di ◽  
Fadwa Dababneh
Author(s):  
Lei Di ◽  
Gaurav Manish Shah ◽  
Yiran Yang ◽  
Cuicui Wei

Abstract The manufacturing industry is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Additive manufacturing, owing to its multiple advantages, plays a critical role in innovating the current manufacturing industry, especially from a supply chain perspective. Currently, the majority of research on GHG emissions in the manufacturing industry is focused on traditional manufacturing, either single processes in the supply chain or specific case studies, indicating the lack of models on GHG emissions in additive manufacturing-enabled supply chain structures. In this work, a mathematical model is established to estimate the GHG emissions in both traditional manufacturing and additive manufacturing-enabled supply chains. To explore the advantages of additive manufacturing in terms of fast production and reduced or even eliminated the need for assembly and labor involvement, a unique integrated production-inventory-transportation structure is investigated in additive manufacturing case studies. The results indicate that a potential reduction of 26.43% of GHG emissions can be achieved by adopting the additive manufacturing technique in the supply chain. Also, the impacts of rush order rate, emission intensity, and vehicle GHG emission constant rate on the overall GHG emissions are investigated in the sensitivity analysis. Results indicate that a 20% variation in GHG emission intensity (the amount of CO2eq emissions caused by generating a unit of electricity) can lead to a 6.26% change in the total GHG emissions in additive manufacturing.


Author(s):  
Lei Di ◽  
Yiran Yang

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM), owing to its unique layer-wise production method, can offer evident advantages comparing to traditional manufacturing (TM) technologies such as faster production, lower cost, and less waste. The uses of AM in rapid tooling, prototyping, and manufacturing have been innovating the current manufacturing industry from the process level to the entire supply chain. Most existing research on AM is focused on process improvement and new materials, largely neglecting the potential economic and environmental benefits enabled by AM supply chains. This research investigates an innovative supply chain structure, i.e., the integrated production-inventory-transportation (PIT) structure that is uniquely enabled by AM because of its capability of fabricating the entire product with less or even no need for assembly and labor involvement. This paper quantifies and compares the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of TM and AM-enabled PIT supply chains. The manufacturing industry is a major source of GHG emissions in the U.S., which therefore needs to be studied in order to explore opportunities for reducing GHG emissions for environmental protection. Case study results suggest that a potential reduction of 26.43% of GHG emissions can be achieved by adopting the AM-enabled PIT supply chain structure. Sensitivity analysis results show that a 20% variation in GHG emission intensity (the amount of CO2eq emissions caused by generating a unit of electricity) can lead to a 6.26% change in the total GHG emissions in the AM-enabled PIT supply chain.


2012 ◽  
Vol 136 (2) ◽  
pp. 384-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leopoldo Eduardo Cárdenas-Barrón ◽  
Jinn-Tsair Teng ◽  
Gerardo Treviño-Garza ◽  
Hui-Ming Wee ◽  
Kuo-Ren Lou

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (7) ◽  
pp. 944-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Oettmeier ◽  
Erik Hofmann

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic analysis about the effects of additive manufacturing (AM) technology adoption on supply chain management (SCM) processes and SCM components in an engineer-to-order environment. Design/methodology/approach Based on two explorative case studies from the hearing systems industry, the impact of AM technology adoption on SCM processes and SCM components is investigated. General systems theory and the contingency approach serve as theoretical underpinning. Findings Not only the internal processes and management activities, e.g. in manufacturing and order fulfillment, of producers are affected by a changeover to AM, but also the SCM processes and components relating to the supply and demand side of a firm’s supply chain. Endogenous and AM technology-related factors are contingency factors that help to explain differing effects of AM technology adoption on SCM processes and SCM components. Research limitations/implications It is proposed that AM’s ability to economically build custom products provides the potential to alleviate the common dilemma between product variety and scale economies. Practical implications Manufacturing firms are encouraged to consider the potential effects of AM on SCM processes and SCM components when deciding whether to adopt AM technologies in the production of industrial parts. Originality/value The research adds to the widely unexplored effects that AM technology usage in customized parts production has on SCM processes and components. Moreover, the general lack of case studies analyzing the implications of AM technology adoption from a supply chain perspective is addressed. The resulting propositions may serve as a starting point for further research on the impact of AM in engineer-to-order supply chains.


2019 ◽  
Vol 102 (9-12) ◽  
pp. 3325-3340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Zanoni ◽  
Milad Ashourpour ◽  
Andrea Bacchetti ◽  
Massimo Zanardini ◽  
Marco Perona

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