Managing 3D printing technologies for manufacturing
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is introducing revolutionary changes to manufacturing processes. In the beginning, 3D printers were used only for small-scale trial production. However, more and more 3D printing service providers are now mass-producing their products. Nowadays, information companies, 3D photo studios, supermarket chains and other shops are providing limited 3D printing services.
3D printing can be seamlessly integrated with CAD/CAM (CAD: computer-aided design; CAM: computer-aided manufacturing) operations. Therefore, the existing CAD/CAM software vendors are typically the pioneers in this field. There are also dedicated CAD/CAM software for making with 3D printing. In addition, there are websites acting as hubs for gathering 3D models from volunteers worldwide. The prevalence of 3D printers connected by the internet also forms a ubiquitous environment in which customers can easily access a nearby 3D printing facility, a phenomenon creating considerable business opportunities (Chen and Tsai, 2017).
Most of the existing studies on 3D printing for manufacturing have focused on technical concerns such as the use of various materials for printing, modeling and simulation and how to inspect a 3D-printed product. However, there are managerial concerns that warrant attention, such as 3D-object database management, lean manufacturing, digital rights management, e-commerce applications and globalization and deglobalization (Chen and Lin, 2017). This special issue is intended to provide technical details of managing 3D printing technologies for manufacturing. According to strict review criteria, 13 articles from researchers around the world were accepted.
From the managerial point of view, “Perception of 3D-Printing: Analysis of Manufacturing-Use and Adoption” investigates factors that influence the adoption of 3D printing in manufacturing. “Multilayer Fuzzy Neural Network for Modeling a Multisource Uncertain Unit-cost Learning Process in Wafer Fabrication” applies artificial neural networks to yield modeling in a wafer fabrication facility that uses a lot of additive manufacturing technologies. “The Use of Rapid Prototyping in the Joining of Fractured Historical Silver Object” introduces the application of 3D printing to the ancient artifact preservation industry.
In the pre-printing phase, designing a structure that can be reliably printed is a critical task, as discussed in “Structural Optimization Design for Antenna Bracket Manufactured by Selective Laser Melting”. Another critical task is the selection or setting of the 3D printing equipment, as discussed in “Fused Deposition Modeling 5-Axis Additive Manufacturing: Machine Design, Fundamental Printing Methods and Critical Process Characteristics” and “Additive Manufacturing of Laser Cutting Nozzles by SLM: Processing, Finishing and Functional Characterization”.
Subsequently, in the phase of preparing the materials for printing, “Effects of Mixture Ingredients on Interlayer Adhesion of Concrete in Contour Crafting” and “Abrasive Flow Finishing of FDM Printed Parts Using a Sustainable Media” optimize the mixture of materials for 3D printing, which is conducive to the quality of the 3D-printed item, as noted in “Quality Control Issues in 3D-printing Manufacturing: A Review”, while “Heat Distribution in Material During Fused Deposition Modeling” and “Selective Laser Melting of Maraging Steel: Mechanical Properties Development and Its Application in Mold” are focused on monitoring the status of materials during the printing process.
Finally, “Validating 3D-Printed Porous Proxies by Tomography and Porosimetry” and “Investigation of Influence of Heat Treatment on Mechanical Strength of FDM Printed 3D Objects” examine the quality of a 3D-printed item and relate the result to the pre-printing treatment.
The author would like to thank the RPJ Editor-in-Chief, Ian Campbell, for fully supporting the release of this special issue. The author is also grateful to the contributors who shared their research and to the reviewers who spared their valuable time to review papers. The author would also like to thank the journal’s staff. Without their support and professional assistance, prepublication would not have been possible.
