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Developing an Understanding of the Cost of Additive Manufacturing

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Abstract

This chapter provides a concise and practical introduction to the estimation and modelling of the cost of Additive Manufacturing (AM), which is usually required as a starting point in assessments of commercial viability of the technology. The chapter begins with an overview of cost models in general and specific to AM. This is followed by a step-by-step practical presentation of how such models can be constructed and a discussion of the utility of unit cost functions in breakeven analyses. The chapter also discusses a range of recurring issues in the assessment of the cost performance of AM. These include the capacity utilisation problem, integration with other manufacturing processes, the cost impact of process failure and the requirement to explore the effect of design changes when considering different processes. To provide the reader with some rough, yet readily applicable, information on absolute cost performance, the chapter closes with a presentation of specific cost estimates for a number of AM technology variants and materials.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering, Centre for Additive Manufacturing, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG8 1BB, UK

    Martin Baumers & Chris Tuck

Authors
  1. Martin Baumers
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  2. Chris Tuck
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin Baumers .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences, Institute of Materials and Manufacturing, Brunel University London, London, UK

    Eujin Pei

  2. Edificio de Fabricación Integrada, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain

    Mario Monzón

  3. ILS2N UMR CNRS 6004, Ecole centrale de Nantes, Nantes CX 03, France

    Alain Bernard

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Baumers, M., Tuck, C. (2019). Developing an Understanding of the Cost of Additive Manufacturing. In: Pei, E., Monzón, M., Bernard, A. (eds) Additive Manufacturing – Developments in Training and Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76084-1_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76084-1_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-76083-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-76084-1

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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