Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM): Analysing and Mapping Research Trends and Industry Needs

Since its early days as a rapid prototyping technology, additive manufacturing has significantly evolved and become an important enabling technology for advanced manufacturing. Despite the benefits, its application in industry is not trivial as, for example, products need to be re-designed and processes changed, and it is not always the optimal manufacturing technology. Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) is a key approach to support the successful use of additive manufacturing in industry and to bridge the gap between research and practice. Aside from design process and technology related methods and tools, DfAM also considers organisational and procedural aspects. To support the success of DfAM and as a result additive manufacturing, it is important to understand how industry needs are addressed by current DfAM methods/tools and related research activities. In this respect, a comprehensive analysis is missing. Therefore, this paper systematically analyses current research topics, fields and trends as well as industry needs and DfAM requirements from an engineering management perspective. Mapping them allows for a systematic discussion between academia and industry to identify the most pressing research needs.