System framework of adopting additive manufacturing in mass production line

ABSTRACT

System framework is for adopting additive manufacturing (AM) in a mass production line where AM processes are integrated to customize protective parts for manual tools that are found to cause damages of products. The system ensures AM processes are adopted to meet the requirements of functionalities, reliability, line balancing, and the production rate like other conventional processes. The proposed system is different from other AM applications in sense that product designs and fabrications become integrated parts of a production flow. The effectiveness of the system framework is validated as the solution to fix surface mutilations in a truck assembly line.

KEYWORDS:

• Additive manufacturing (AM)
• axiomatic design theory (ADT)
• CAD/CAM integration
• mass production line
• system framework
• surface mutilations

Acknowledgments

Zhuming Bi would like to acknowledge the sponsorship of Senior Summer Faculty Grant from Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW). Zhuming Bi would like to thank the sponsorship of the Faculty Collaborative Research Grant from Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW).

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).