Life Cycle Cost Analysis for Additive Manufacturing Technologies of Aluminum Components

This study examines technologies for manufacturing aluminum components and proposes a framework for selecting appropriate manufacturing methods from a lifecycle economics perspective. Both conventional manufacturing and additive manufacturing are analyzed. Additive manufacturing can manufacture intricate geometries that are difficult to achieve using conventional methods. However, its low productivity and high cost have limited its implementation into the industry. In addition, there is no clear consensus on the environmental impact of additive manufacturing. To address these issues, we examined the hypothesis that a life cycle cost analysis, which considers environmental impact when selecting a manufacturing method, would enable users to make more reasonable decisions. The study compared the life cycle costs of manufacturing methods for power semiconductors cooling components in electric vehicles and bracket components in aircraft. The results show that GHG emissions are higher during the use phase than the manufacturing phase for both applications. Replacing conventional manufacturing with additive manufacturing can reduce overall GHG emissions. Although additive manufacturing has a higher manufacturing cost compared to conventional manufacturing, the life cycle cost analysis reveals an economic advantage in replacing conventional manufacturing with additive manufacturing in aircraft engine brackets when running costs and carbon pricing are taken into consideration.