Enhancing Integrated Vehicle Health Management Through the Use of Additive Manufacturing

RTejournal - Forum fur Rapid Technologie, Vol. 2014, Iss. 1 - Integrated Vehicle Health Management systems use data gathered using on-board sensors that are analysed to determine the condition of components or even whole systems. This information is used to detect and isolate faults (diagnostics), and even estimate the Remaining Useful Life (prognostics). IVHM can combine this information with maintenance management tools to improve maintenance operations and even assist in the planning of spare parts’ logistics. All this translates into shorter downtimes and increased fleet availability and profitability. Combining IVHM with Additive Manufacturing has the potential to further improve availability figures. This can also be mutually beneficial for both technologies, making IVHM systems more accurate and cheaper, and gaining a better understanding of the long-term capabilities of parts made using AM.