Cost Modelling and Sensitivity Analysis of Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

With the proliferation and diversification of metal additive manufacturing (AM) processes in recent years, effective decision tools for process selection are of increasing importance. This paper presents a novel time activity based cost model for Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), an emergent metal AM technology. The full process chain is modelled and a tool-path based deposition cost employed. The results show that WAAM has significant potential as a cost-effective manufacturing approach compared to other AM and conventional CNC machining methods. Sensitivity analysis identifies indirect costs as a key cost driver generally, with parts per build plate, and shielding cost having significance for smaller and larger parts respectively.