3D Printing and Supply Chain Management
Modern production is based on dislocation and decentralization. Production will be closer to the end-consumer in decentralized production and distribution structures. Workers (machinists) are no longer required as the machines can run unattended for a long period of time. Since Charles Hull invented additive manufacturing, 3PD got more and more attention by practitioners, especially in the field of mechanical engineering. 3D printing has accelerated strongly in recent years. As it was stated in chapter 2, the technology has come a long way from simple prototyping to fully integrated utilizations in direct manufacturing and because of its many forms of application, 3D printing is said to be one of the most significant industrial developments of this decade.