Simulation of utilization for LPBF manufacturing systems

Production Engineering, vol. 15, pp. 45–56

Abstract

Abstract Due to resolving major technological challenges Additive Manufacturing (AM) is on the brink of industrialization. In order to operate capital-intensive AM equipment in an economically viable manner, service providers must configure their production environment in a way which enables high capacity utilization and short throughput times while minimizing work in process. The interrelation of those three mentioned production-related key performance indicators, also known as the scheduling dilemma, must be addressed with due consideration of the technology’s characteristics. Within the framework of this paper the authors describe the impact of a service provider’s facility configuration regarding machine pool, operator availability and distribution of work content on the production system’s utilization. The evaluations rely on a simulation model developed in Matlab®, which allows for modification and execution of production schedules within AM facilities of different configurations. The validation of the proposed model is based on empirical data gathered on the shopfloor of GKN Additive, a global AM service provider.

Authors 2

1. Tobias Stittgen corresponding Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University Digital Additive Production DAP, Aachen, Germany

2. Johannes Henrich Schleifenbaum Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University Digital Additive Production DAP, Aachen, Germany