impact Of 3d Printing On Aerospace Sustainability Assignment Sample

Introduction of impact Of 3d Printing On Aerospace Sustainability Assignment

Purpose of the study

This research aims to establish the extent and nature of the change being brought by 3D printing in the aerospace spare parts supply chain, with sustainability being a key consideration. For many years, the aerospace industry has been experiencing some difficulties with its supply chains, especially in spare parts. This is the area I have always wanted to contribute to since sectors across the world are embracing sustainability strategies while 3D printing is playing a crucial role in the process. As manufacturing businesses expand through Industry 4.0 it’s critically important to analyse how 3D printing minimizes harm to the environment, increases production efficiency, and optimizes the supply chain. The proposed study will be carried out in one of the aerospace firms in the United Kingdom, for example, Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce has already begun the process of deciding parts of the engine that it can use 3D printing to manufacture elements that will be lighter yet stronger thus making the engines more efficien (Attaran, 2017)t. Thus, this study will investigate 3D printing in spare parts manufacturing through this organization of interest in an attempt to evaluate the applicability of this technology to spearhead sustainability in the aerospace supply chain. Hence, the UK provides an environment of green manufacturing practices and the aerospace industry comes with high performance and safety standards to offer differences in the research. The purpose of this research is to address the current literature gap concerning the use of additive manufacturing for sustainability in supply chains and identify the possibility and limitations of implementing this technology in the aerospace industry.

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Brief literature review

3D printing or additive manufacturing has been receiving increased attention in the supply chain discourse especially in terms of its impacts on sustainability. In detail, studies show that 3D printing has the potential to lower wastage and energy levels than conventional techniques which implies the technology is an important part of the strategy to improve sustainability within the business sector (Weller et al., 2015). In the aerospace industry, which entails high material costs and long lead times, the capability to print spare parts at will can greatly reduce unnecessary inventory and wastage (Duflou et al., 2012). The aerospace supply chain has greatly benefited from the incorporation of 3D printing technology, according to several studies. For example, Hwang et al., 2017 hold a view that the use of the technique of additive manufacturing results in the reduction of lead times since it allows for the production of components locally without having to depend on supply chains. Not only does such a change increase adaptability but also reduces the carbon footprint on cars to improve sustainability. In addition, due to 3D printing, the members of the Aerospace industry can use lighter materials and structures with sophisticated shapes in the design of their parts and systems which in turn enhances their performance and reliability (Gao et al., 2015). However, some issues are still associated with the integration of 3D printing in the aerospace supply chain. The challenges of low adoption of advanced 3D printing technologies include high initial costs whereby adopting organizations have to incur high costs to acquire the technology (Duflou et al., 2012). However, quality assurance and meeting the legal requirements for aerospace parts are essential, mainly because of their high safety and performance requirements. Research done by Scully et al. (2020) reveals that there is a need to implement good procedures for quality assurance of 3D-printed products so that their reliability and safety in use can be achieved in life-critical applications. There is also evidence from the literature that customer awareness level of sustainable products is gradually improving, and customers are also inclined towards the company that has an environmentally sensitive management system (Borrello et al., 2017). In the aerospace market, CSR and sustainability are increasingly a significant issue for the industry and the establishment of 3D printing for the production of spare sections allows a company to put up an appealing image for environmentally sensitive customers. Furthermore, the circular economy since it aims at optimising resources and avoiding waste matches with the abilities of 3D printing (Geissdoerfer et al., 2018). Illustrating how additive manufacturing can unlock the recycling of material and manufacture of spare parts using locally available resources can help boost the sustainability of the aerospace supply chain.

The Aims

The purpose of this research is to establish the performance improvement of 3D printing in a sustainable aerospace spare parts supply chain. In particular, this study aims to explore the potential of using additive manufacturing to decrease waste, shorten lead times, and optimizing resource use in spare parts production to support more sustainable use in the aerospace industry. Logically, the character of current research stems from the study’s focus on the real-life experience of recognized aerospace organizations; the goal is to discover the potential advantages and disadvantages of 3D printing technologies (Baumers et al., 2015). In addition, the study will examine the level of customers’ awareness and their demand for green products and how these factors affect the application of 3D printing in the aerospace industry. Overall, this research aims to offer useful information and suggestions to aerospace firms that plan to adopt 3D printing as a suitable solution for improving sustainability perspectives in supply chains.

The Objectives

• To, examine the existing literature on 3D printing and its application in the aerospace supply chain, focusing on sustainability and efficiency improvements
• To, investigate real-world applications of 3D printing in leading aerospace companies to understand best practices, challenges, and success factors. Highlight key opportunities for integrating 3D printing into the aerospace supply chain
• To, produce a comprehensive research report that contributes to the academic understanding of 3D printing’s role in sustainable supply chain practices within the aerospace sector.

Methodology

This research shall use both quantitative and qualitative approaches to gain a deeper understanding of how 3D printing helps improve sustainability in the aerospace spare parts supply chain. The proposed data collection techniques are interviews, questionnaires, and case studies. Such an approach enables detailed consideration of individual opinions and perceptions while acquiring more general research data from a great number of subjects involved.

Firstly, qualitative research which will involve conducting interviews with employees from aerospace industries will be used Second, questionnaires and surveys will be used to gather quantitative data. Next, focus groups, questions and answers will be employed meanwhile focus group discussion will be used. These interviews will enable further understanding of the present practices and issues encountered as the firms strive to use 3D printing technologies. This will mean that the study will produce qualitative data that the quantitative research methodology misses out on due to rigidity in data collection methods (“Qualitative Data Analysis,” 2008). All data that might be collected in the framework of these interviews will be qualitative and the classification of this data will embrace such patterns as the common trends, opportunities, and threats related to the application of 3DP in the aerospace industry.

Apart from interviews, a self-completion survey in the form of a questionnaire will also be conducted among a larger population in aerospace organizations. This self-administered questionnaire will concentrate on the customers’ familiarity with sustainable products and their belief in 3D printing to fix sustainability problems in the supply chain. The quantitative data gathered will be analysed statistically to compare mean and frequencies thereby aiming at first generalization of the results of this study to other businesses as far as customers’ sentiments and general market demand for sustainable practices in aerospace are concerned.

Ethical issues will form an important part of this research since people will be involved in the study (Shek & S, 2011). Every participant will complete a consent form before the data will be collected and this will entail the participant to the overall purpose of the study and the right of the participant to pull out of the study at any one time. Again, participants will be given an assurance of the anonymity and confidentiality of their responses which will be vital when interviewing the participants and filling out questionnaires. In addition, ethical principles set by the university before conducting the study will be followed later to warrant a credible study. Hence, by adopting this approach and ensuring high research ethics, the research seeks to generate a significant and valid understanding of the use of 3D printing in contributing to sustainability in the aerospace spare part supply chain.

Programme of work

What will the results be used for?

The outcomes of the present research will be useful in informing organisations, especially within the aerospace spare part supply chain, about 3D printing technologies’ applicability and the world’s largest manufacturer of aircraft engine components, Rolls-Royce, about the possibilities of integrating the 3D printing technologies into the aerospace spare part supply chain. Interviews, questionnaires, and case studies are used for this purpose, and the study seeks to discover the best adaptable and effective practices, the gaps, and the possible environmental gains from integrating manufacturing technology into manufacturing processes. The knowledge obtained is going to be applied in the formulation of Organizational Strategies to assist Rolls-Royce to improve on sustainability and generally the supply chain metals (Ryan et al., 2017).

The findings will feed directly into Rolls-Royce's initiatives to de-escalate waste and carbon emissions, reflecting the company’s mission statement and Corporate and Social Responsibility. The study implications can be of particular value for Rolls-Royce as the presented results of awareness and demand for sustainable aerospace products outline potential adjustments in selling propositions and existing offerings that would appeal to customers with an interest in environmental issues. In addition, the study will reveal the factors that hinder Innovation in adopting 3D printing technology and then help the organization avoid these barriers or mitigate them hence adding Competitive advantage in the Aerospace market. Besides the organization, the results will benefit the aerospace industry as a whole, as it will create a guide for other companies intending to implement equivalent technologies. The results can be used as a benchmark in terms of how actual implementations of 3D printing look like, and how a sustainable integration of this technology into supply chains can be implemented (Petrovic et al., 2010). These findings will contribute to enhancing the knowledge and distinguish the position of additive manufacturing toward environmentally supportive practices within the industry. However, apart from the enhancement of overall organizational performance, the knowledge generated by this study will also inform both the theoretical and practical discourse on 3D printing and sustainable supply chain management. Drawing on these considerations of technology, sustainability, and customer awareness, this study will help to meet these gaps, upon which, subsequent empirical research on this critical subject can build. In conclusion, the results have the overall impact of enabling the decision-making process at Rolls-Royce and potentially other companies, thus pushing the aerospace industry and its companies into the sphere of sustainable development.

References

• Attaran, M. (2017). The rise of 3-D printing: The advantages of additive manufacturing over traditional manufacturing. Business Horizons, 60(5), 677–688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2017.05.011
• Baumers, M., Dickens, P., Tuck, C., & Hague, R. (2015). The cost of additive manufacturing: machine productivity, economies of scale and technology-push. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 102, 193–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2015.02.015
• Borrello, M., Caracciolo, F., & Cembalo, L. (2017). Sustainability in the food sector: Consumer awareness and preferences. Sustainability, 9(10), 1840.
  Duflou, J. R., et al. (2012). Towards energy and resource efficient manufacturing: A literature review on sustainable manufacturing. CIRP Annals, 61(2), 695-718.
  Gao, W., et al. (2015). The status, challenges, and future of additive manufacturing in engineering. Computer-Aided Design, 69, 65-89.
  Geissdoerfer, M., et al. (2018). The Circular Economy – A new sustainability paradigm? Journal of Cleaner Production, 143, 757-768.
  Hwang, T., et al. (2017). A framework for additive manufacturing in the aerospace supply chain. International Journal of Production Research, 55(23), 7121-7133.
• Petrovic, V., Gonzalez, J. V. H., Ferrando, O. J., Gordillo, J. D., Puchades, J. R. B., & Griñan, L. P. (2010). Additive layered manufacturing: sectors of industrial application shown through case studies. International Journal of Production Research, 49(4), 1061–1079. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207540903479786
• Qualitative Data Analysis. (2008). In Springer eBooks (pp. 101–120). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-77282-0_6
• Ryan, M. J., Eyers, D. R., Potter, A. T., Purvis, L., & Gosling, J. (2017). 3D printing the future: scenarios for supply chains reviewed. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 47(10), 992–1014. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijpdlm-12-2016-0359
• Shek, D. T. L., & S, C. M., MA. (2011). Longitudinal Data Analyses Using Linear Mixed Models in SPSS: Concepts, Procedures and Illustrations. The Scientific World JOURNAL, 11, 42–76. https://doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2011.2
• Scully, S. J., et al. (2020). Quality assurance in additive manufacturing: A review. Additive Manufacturing, 34, 101246.
  Weller, C., et al. (2015). Towards the "third" industrial revolution: 3D printing in supply chain management. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 45(2), 134-157.

Author Bio

Cameron Lee   4 years | MSc in Management

I am Cameron Lee and I have completed an MSc in management from a renowned University of the United Kingdom. For the last 4+ years, I have been assisting students with their assignments, dissertations, essays and other academic papers. If you are struggling with your management task you can have me by your side for help. I would like to give you the best results.