Feasibility and suitability analysis of additive manufacturing in pre-conceptual design phase

Journal article, 2026

The application of additive manufacturing (AM) has expanded beyond prototyping, offering unique opportunities compared to conventional manufacturing methods such as casting and machining. To fully utilise these opportunities, products must be designed specifically for AM. Therefore, it is important to determine not just how to design for AM, a topic which has been studied extensively, but also when to design for AM, a topic which remains under-explored. We therefore posit that this can be solved by providing designers with a clear set of guidelines to help them determine when AM is the appropriate choice. This, in turn, can accelerate the industrial adoption of AM while also enabling more effective and efficient production processes. This paper introduces a method to support decision-making by assessing the feasibility and suitability of AM in comparison to other manufacturing processes in the early design phase. The proposed method offers a structured and transparent guideline, distinguishing it from existing approaches in the literature. Finally, an example illustrating how this method can guide design decisions effectively is presented, fostering a more informed and strategic approach to the adoption of AM in industry.