The flexibility of industrial
additive manufacturing systems
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Abstract
The overall aim of this study is to explore the nature of Industrial Additive Manufacturing
Systems as implemented by commercial practitioners, with a specific focus on flexibility within
the system and wider supply chain. This study is conducted from an Operations Management
perspective to identify management implications arising from the application of contemporary
Industrial Additive Manufacturing in the fulfilment of demand.
The generation of the theoretical constructs and their evaluation is achieved through an abductive
approach. The concept of an Industrial Additive Manufacturing System is developed, through
which activities, enabling mechanisms, and control architectures are demonstrated. This is
complimented by the proposal of a typology of flexibilities both for the manufacturing system
and its supply chain. Twelve case studies are examined through practitioner interviews,
observation, and mapping of the production processes at three Industrial Additive Manufacturing
companies. These explorations are complimented by interviews with customers downstream of
the Additive Manufacturer, and with interviews and a survey of principal upstream machine and
material suppliers.
This study identifies and classifies types of flexibility relevant to Industrial Additive
Manufacturing Systems. It is shown that to achieve requisite flexibilities, it is necessary to
manage the whole manufacturing system, not just individual machines. By extension, the internal
manufacturing systems’ ability to achieve flexibility is shown to be both facilitated and
constrained by the environment in which it operates. In particular, inadequacies in the supply of
materials are shown to result in suboptimal practices within the manufacturing system.
The principal contribution of this thesis is therefore the development of Industrial Additive
Manufacturing from a manufacturing systems perspective, and an evaluation of its implications
for flexibilit