Integrating Additive Manufacturing into the Supply Chain in a Fuzzy Environment

Additive manufacturing (AM), 3D printing, rapid prototyping, rapid development, rapid technologies and many other similar names are terms used interchangeably for rapidly growing technologies based on adding materials, layer by layer, to build the final product, in comparison to the subtractive - conventional productions. Meanwhile, the supply chain has been greatly influenced by this phenomenon. Thus, it is necessary to provide a holistic approach to the analysis and design of the system. In this paper, a supply chain model for the integration of conventional and AM facilities in a fuzzy environment is developed. This model is focused on situations where the possibility of adding new AM facilities within the traditional plants in a broader supply chain is on question. In addition, the best production levels and transportation of the chain, along with purchasing decisions and other tactical factors, and the number of facilities in a strategic level are developed. Furthermore, 3 numerical example is provided to examine different conceivable outcomes.