Developement of an economic decision support for the application of Additive Manufacturing in aerospace

Additive Manufacturing offers a high potential in aerospace industry due to its freedom of design and the ability to manufacture complex and lightweight parts. The low number of units, high quality standards and fast response time are special challenges that have to be met especially in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul sector. Thus, companies have to decide at which point it is economic to apply Additive Manufacturing. However, companies lack experience on this new technology. This is why a tool is required that takes into account the above mentioned crucial points and supports the decision process. The paper analyzes aviation’s characteristics with regard to Additive Manufacturing. The structure of current MRO repair workflows is investigated to identify a feasible application for Additive Manufacturing. Additionally the supply chain will be examined to indicate the benefit which the technology can generate in this highly demanding field. The findings are integrated into a methodology that supports the decision whether to apply Additive Manufacturing on the basis of costs, time and quality.