A new mixed production cost allocation model for additive manufacturing (MiProCAMAM)

Additive manufacturing (AM) maturity allows diffusion of this technology in conventional production environments. In the decision to adopt a new technology, production costs are one of the most important factors to analyse, even if they are not developed enough yet. In the last decade, several cost models for AM have been proposed, but each of them focuses on a specific aspect of the process, lacking the ability to consider the effective costs associated with AM, i.e. regarding AM as part of a more general production context. The aim of this study is to develop a cost model that evaluates process costs of AM for relevant technologies such as stereolithography, selective laser sintering and electron beam melting when integrated in a general production process. The integration of AM on the shop floor is proved by the introduction of an index such as the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) index, which allows this evaluation to be more connected to real production system issues. At the end of the paper, an experiment to compare the results of the proposed model with those of previous studies is reported and it is put in evidence how this model overcomes the previous problem of estimation.