How Additive Manufacturing Platforms are Digitizing the Manufacturing Value Proposition

Digital platforms are established in business ecosystems with primarily non-tangible value creation (e.g., social networks, entertainment, software). All partners of a platform usually benefit from network effects. The digitization of physical products and processes drives the industrial platformization, so that manufacturing companies increasingly establish digital manufacturing platforms. Additive Manufacturing (AM) seems to be a highly promising technology for such emerging production platforms. Yet, it has to be proven that digital manufacturing platforms could play a major role in manufacturing industry. The present study examinates the relation between platform providers and related platforms in the AM field. A literature review and a subsequent cluster analysis of AM platforms are the two pillars of our research design to identify five patterns of platform-based value creation in digital manufacturing. The discussion of the resulting value creation patterns highlights implications for platform business model design by manufacturing companies and knowledge on digital platforms

CREATING VALUE IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING – MODELING OF ECOSYSTEM DETERMINANTS

Despite the increasing managerial awareness for ecosystems to organize complex value propositions, little is known about how different roles can establish their business models (BM) in ecosystems. AM drives innovations in the product design and manufacturing fields predominantly across companies, indicating the eco-systemic organization of value creation without orchestrating and dominant keystone actors yet. This paper explores ecosystem determinants by analyzing the dynamic additive manufacturing (AM) paradigm. We conduct an empirical study with companies from the AM domain to visualize their value activities and define generic roles in the interdependent value creation process, adopting the e³-value methodology. By exploring these ecosystem determinants, our results aid practitioners in positioning their BMs in the AM domain and generate descriptive insights for the orchestrator BM design in a dynamic domain without orchestrating keystones

Design Principles for Creating a Pay-per-Part Value Proposition in Data Ecosystems

In practice and research, pay-per-part business models are becoming increasingly popular. Amongst others mechanical engineering companies, banks, insurances, and IT companies are working on these new business models. There is increasing evidence that the enabler for pay-per-part approaches is the cooperative use of data across company boundaries, being discussed in literature under the term data ecosystem. Along two case studies, a total of eleven companies were accompanied from the definition of the cooperative pay-per-part value proposition to the implementation of a proof of concept. Based on these case studies, eleven design principles could be derived. These design principles provide companies a guidance when designing a cooperative value proposition within an ecosystem. The identified design principles were mapped to different stakeholder groups that are involved in the design of a cooperative value proposition. The generated design principles were evaluated and implications for practitioners and research given

Identifying Business Potentials of Additive Manufacturing as Part of Digital Value Creation in SMEs – An Explorative Case Study

Additive Manufacturing allows the production of parts based on layer by layer, three-dimensional printing. With a unique set of characteristics, Additive Manufacturing is an important technology regarding the digital transformation and digital value creation of the manufacturing domain. Particularly small and medium sized enterprises are challenged by digital transformation processes and decisions on where to invest their limited resources. This paper identifies business potentials of Additive Manufacturing based on a recent case study conducted during collaborative workshops with five small and medium sized enterprises. Considering the special capabilities of Additive Manufacturing technology, business potentials are examined alongside the entire product lifecycle. It was found that these potentials appear primarily on a digital level and are therefore not limited to the physical domain. The potentials may channel enterprise transformation and enable the purposive generation of digital value

Loss Comparison of Small Delta- and Star-Connected Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines

Delta-connected stator windings are often used in mass production of small Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines (PMSMs). In comparison to star-connected stator windings, a delta-connected winding system offers advantages for manufacturing and lowers production costs. A main disadvantage of motors with such a winding system are additional losses caused by the Zero-Sequence Current Component (ZSCC). In this paper the ZSCC and its impact on the generated losses in a delta-connected PMSM used as a traction motor for a pedal electric cycle (Pedelec) is analysed. The calculated results are compared to those of a star-connected PMSM with the same design. We will show that the amplitude of the ZSCC depends on the operating point of the machine. As a result, the copper losses in the delta-connected machine are up to 5.8 % higher than the ones in the star-connected machine. On the other hand, the iron losses are 1 % smaller in the delta-connected machine. The efficiency of the delta-connected machine is still up to 4 % smaller

A standardized and modular power electronics platform for academic research on advanced grid-connected converter control and microgrids

This paper introduces a multifunctional converter platform rated at 30kW. Individual units allow research on advanced grid-connected converter control, while their interconnection enables isolated microgrid investigations. The standardized and modular design allows simple reconfiguration of the system for different setups, for which multiple measurements are presented

A standardized and modular power electronics platform for academic research on advanced grid-connected converter control and microgrids

This paper introduces a multifunctional converter platform rated at 30kW. Individual units allow research on advanced grid-connected converter control, while their interconnection enables isolated microgrid investigations. The standardized and modular design allows simple reconfiguration of the system for different setups, for which multiple measurements are presented

Putting Knowledge into Practice: Low-Income Women Talk about Food Choice Decisions

Insights into barriers and facilitators for healthy eating are needed to improve low-income women’s diets and to decrease disease risk. The study objectives were to explore women’s qualitative perceptions of influences on their food choices such as food security, their knowledge of nutrition-related health risk factors and self-efficacy for diet change, and their dietary intakes in practice. Thirty-six women, aged 19–50, who were eligible to receive income-based assistance were recruited in central Iowa. Focus group discussions on defining healthy foods, influences on food choice, and nutrition information sources were analyzed using a socioecological model framework. Demographics, nutrient intake estimates, food security status, health behaviors, and self-efficacy for nutrition behavior change were collected by survey. Most participants were White (61%), single (69%), food insecure (69%), and living with children (67%). Few women met dietary recommendations. Barriers to healthy eating include cost, convenience/preparation time, family taste preferences, and limitations of federal food assistance programs. Facilitators are high self-efficacy for nutrition change and health knowledge on average. These results challenge the strategy of using nutrition education to improve healthy eating and instead show that intervention messaging should focus on limited, achievable steps to improve dietary choices that fit within cost, convenience, and taste constraints

Predictive Trajectory Control with Online MTPA Calculation and Minimization of the Inner Torque Ripple for Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Machines

This paper presents an extended predictive trajectory control scheme combined with an inner torque ripple minimization considering the current-, flux-linkage-, and voltage-planes of permanent magnet synchronous machines. The extension of a fundamental machine model with flux-linkage harmonics allows the calculation of the inner torque ripple and enables its minimization. For this, the control is divided in two cases: (1) The dynamic operation or large signal behavior which uses the maximal torque gradient for the trajectory strategy during each control period for fastest dynamic operation, and (2) The stationary operation or small signal behavior, utilizing a real time capable polynomial approximation of the rotor position dependent torque hyperbolas (iso-torque curves) of permanent magnet synchronous machines for the ideal torque to current reference values. Since dynamic and steady-state operation is covered, torque to current look-up tables, such as maximum torque per ampere (MTPA)/maximum torque per volt/voltage (MTPV) look-up tables, are not required anymore. The introduced, new control approach is implemented in Matlab/Simulink based on finite element analysis and measured data. Furthermore, test-bench implementations based on measurement data are presented to show the real-time capability and precision