{"title":"Breaking the mould: achieving high-volume production output with additive manufacturing","authors":"Yuan Huang, D. Eyers, M. Stevenson, M. Thürer","doi":"10.1108/ijopm-05-2021-0350","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe study aims to examine a discrepant industrial case that demonstrates how to achieve economies of scale with additive manufacturing (AM), thereby expanding the scope of AM beyond high-variety, customised production contexts.Design/methodology/approachAbductive reasoning is applied to analyse a case of using AM to compete with conventional production, winning a contract to supply 7,700,000 products. Comparing this case to existing theories and contemporary practices reveals new research directions and practical insights.FindingsEconomies of scale were realised through a combination of technological innovation and the adoption of operations management practices atypical of AM shops (e.g. design for volume, low-cost resource deployment and material flow optimisation). The former improved AM process parameters in terms of time, cost and dependability; the latter improved the entire manufacturing system, including non-AM operations/resources. This system-wide improvement has been largely overlooked in the literature, where AM is typically viewed as a disruptive technology that simplifies manufacturing processes and shortens supply chains.Originality/valueIt is empirically shown that an AM shop can achieve economies of scale and compete with conventional manufacturing in high-volume, standardised production contexts.","PeriodicalId":14234,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Operations & Production Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1000,"publicationDate":"2021-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"11","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Operations & Production Management","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijopm-05-2021-0350","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"MANAGEMENT","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 11
Abstract
PurposeThe study aims to examine a discrepant industrial case that demonstrates how to achieve economies of scale with additive manufacturing (AM), thereby expanding the scope of AM beyond high-variety, customised production contexts.Design/methodology/approachAbductive reasoning is applied to analyse a case of using AM to compete with conventional production, winning a contract to supply 7,700,000 products. Comparing this case to existing theories and contemporary practices reveals new research directions and practical insights.FindingsEconomies of scale were realised through a combination of technological innovation and the adoption of operations management practices atypical of AM shops (e.g. design for volume, low-cost resource deployment and material flow optimisation). The former improved AM process parameters in terms of time, cost and dependability; the latter improved the entire manufacturing system, including non-AM operations/resources. This system-wide improvement has been largely overlooked in the literature, where AM is typically viewed as a disruptive technology that simplifies manufacturing processes and shortens supply chains.Originality/valueIt is empirically shown that an AM shop can achieve economies of scale and compete with conventional manufacturing in high-volume, standardised production contexts.
期刊介绍:
The mission of the International Journal of Operations & Production Management (IJOPM) is to publish cutting-edge, innovative research with the potential to significantly advance the field of Operations and Supply Chain Management, both in theory and practice. Drawing on experiences from manufacturing and service sectors, in both private and public contexts, the journal has earned widespread respect in this complex and increasingly vital area of business management.
Methodologically, IJOPM encompasses a broad spectrum of empirically-based inquiry using suitable research frameworks, as long as they offer generic insights of substantial value to operations and supply chain management. While the journal does not categorically exclude specific empirical methodologies, it does not accept purely mathematical modeling pieces. Regardless of the chosen mode of inquiry or methods employed, the key criteria are appropriateness of methodology, clarity in the study's execution, and rigor in the application of methods. It's important to note that any contribution should explicitly contribute to theory. The journal actively encourages the use of mixed methods where appropriate and valuable for generating research insights.