Investigating the impact of CAD data transfer standards for 3DP-RDM

Additive Manufacturing is set to play a vital role in the Re-Distributed Manufacturing landscape. The paradigm shift towards a decentralised approach of cloud manufacturing and dynamic production requires tighter standardisation and efficient interfaces between CAD data and Additive Manufacturing. In parallel with technology advancements, it is important to consider the digital chain of information. Although a plethora of CAD formats exist, only some are used for data transfer. The problem is that a true CAD data transfer standard for a 3DP-RDM ecosystem does not exist. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of CAD data transfer standards within the 3DP-RDM landscape. It aims to investigate the impact of CAD data transfer standards within the 3DP-RDM landscape and identify required features in existing standards. The study was set up by first examining the data flow from CAD to 3D printing and reviewing established shortcomings of existing data transfer standards. Further after identifying the data transfer standards AMF, 3MF, STEP and STEP-NC as upcoming and promising replacements, their premises, objectives, contributions and advantages were reviewed. Finally, the role of 3D printing in setting up re-distributed manufacturing by overcoming tooling costs and the associated economies of scale were reviewed. Because the aims of this research touch both on sociotechnical aspects, i.e. the impact of standards on future manufacturing, and on more technical aspects, i.e. information requirements for future standards, in this study qualitative and quantitative approaches were combined to answer the research question. Focus group interviews and a survey were conducted with 3DP and RDM experts from both industry and academia. Participants’ accounts were analysed for common themes and narratives. The suitability of existing data transfer formats was examined by compiling existing and expected standard features and rating them through the AM industry and experts. Results show the expected requirements on future 3DP-RDM data transfer standards as well as their benefits, in particular with regards to manufacturing processes of 3DP service providers, but also for customer concerns such as privacy. The study shows that the STEP-NC and AMF standards are ahead in implementing the most highly valued data transfer features. Open standards are expected to further facilitate innovation in 3DP. This study is intended to contribute to an evaluation of existing standards and their future development and adoption. It is hoped that the results will benefit policy makers and industry leaders to be aware of the importance of data exchange standards for AM so as to pave a clear roadmap for the digital economy in RDM manufacturing.