Industry sector analysis for the application of additive manufacturing in smart and distributed manufacturing systems

The transition from traditional manufacturing systems to cloud-based and geographically distributed manufacturing systems represents a possible manufacturing strategy to produce customized products on demand near to the place of consumption or use. Through the integration of additive manufacturing, products can be produced according to the individual customer needs. This study is part of an ongoing research on the design of smart and distributed manufacturing systems and their coordination in manufacturing networks. It investigates most appropriate industrial sectors for the integration and use of additive manufacturing based on literature review and defined key evaluation criteria.