An evaluation model for selecting part candidates for additive manufacturing in the transport sector

Abstract

There is a need to develop guidelines for identifying situations where it is more beneficial to apply Additive Manufacturing (AM) as opposed to conventional methods of manufacturing. Thus, the aim of this paper is to propose a model for evaluating the sustainability of applying AM in the manufacture of transport equipment parts. A literature review was conducted to identify the parameters for selecting the part candidates. In the next stage, the criteria were ranked according to the needs of the transport equipment manufacturing industry using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. The next stage featured the development of the decision matrix using the weights and classified levels. To validate the proposed decision matrix, different case studies from literature were used. The weights obtained from the case studies were in agreement with the proposed evaluation model. This study will add to the understanding of how the AM industries can effectively screen potential part candidates, thereby promoting the overall sustainability of the AM process in terms of material conservation, geometric complexity and functionality. There is still a dearth of information on the evaluation models capable of identifying the core functions of the products and the applicable environment. The work presents a proposed framework for part selection using the evaluation model.