| Περίληψη: | The scope of the present research is to present a holistic approach regarding design and process planning methods for Additive Manufacturing, creating a concise source of methods and tools that will allow potential users of AM technology to “think additively”, making AM more accessible to the average user, removing requirements for highly specialized knowledge, enabling end empowering uptake of AM.
Existing methods related to the evaluation of AM suitability for a specific use case as well as the technological feasibility of AM have been carefully studied. Based on the gaps identified, new methods for evaluation of AM suitability and flexibility have been proposed, implemented into a simple software tool through Excel, and validated across multiple use cases. In addition, existing methods for AM process selection have been studied. To overcome their shortcomings, a new method comprising three discrete but interconnected steps (material selection, AM process family selection, AM machine selection) has been developed and implemented in the form of a software tool.
The next step was the identification of existing design approaches and rules/guidelines for Additive Manufacturing, followed by defining the terms of design aspects and design considerations. Design guidelines and specific thresholds per process type were summarised, along with a proposed method to determine these thresholds for a specific process-material combination. A novel approach for algorithmic geometry optimization based on manufacturability aspects has been developed and presented.
Subsequently, a method for creating, evaluating, and selecting the optimal production plan with a combination of Additive Manufacturing and subtractive processes has been established. Finally, a method and the related indicators for the overall evaluation of the impact of the adoption of Additive Manufacturing processes at each stage of product development and production has been elaborated.
The usability of the proposed methods and the respective tools has been illustrated utilizing use cases coming from the industry. These outcomes are expected towards lowering the cost of transitioning to Additive Manufacturing, which is also linked to AM experts and increasing the knowledge base in an easy-to-use way oriented mainly towards SMEs (small-medium enterprises).
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