9. 3D Printing Incorporated with Supply Chain Management and Associated Waste Production

Since the development of the additive manufacturing (AM) process also prominently known as 3D printing or rapid prototyping there is an exponential increase in its applications under various domains. 3D printing when incorporated with supply chain management can be really helpful to streamline the processes along with waste management. Various factors can be kept in mind while implementing 3D printing along with supply chain management. The waste that is generated from different manufacturing processes when they were being turned into final products can also be reduced to a great extent or can be eliminated if production is done by 3D printing. Rapid Prototyping (RP) is a layer-by-layer manufacturing process. Likewise, Computer-assisted design (CAD) can specifically be used to produce such tri-dimensional physical models. This manufacturing method gives engineers and designers an absolute ability to print the tri-dimensions layout of their concepts and models. Processes for RP includes a quick and cheap alternative for prototyping functional models in contrast with the traditional component production. The benefit of constructing a component layer-by-layer is that even the complex shapes can be easily made which though were the almost impossible to manufacture by machining process. RP can construct complex structures within structures, internal sections, and very thin-walled features equally quickly to construct a simple cube. AM technology emerges as an easy sell in the market to create complex shapes with the material needed and to enhance the design and simulation of complex structures. This results in disruption of technologies that have a global impact on the supply chain and the logistics of the business. The essence of this technology is the potential to deliver goods closer to client standards worldwide while maintaining the automated delivery of those products in real-time. It has major advantages over the management of the supply chain by reducing product, transport, and warehouse capital investment, and by encouraging stores to evaluate a global change in supply chain management. The primary goal is to acquire knowledge about the use and role of 3D printers in the management of the supply chain and to explore the consequences of AM for the management of the supply chain. The key goal of the research is to gain information on the use and role of 3D printing in supply chain management and to study AM’s effect on supply chain administration.