Title: Decision making methodology for the selection of 3D printer under fuzzy environment

Authors: Sundararaj Raghavendra Prabhu; Mani Ilangkumaran

Addresses: Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam, Tamilnadu, India ' Department of Mechatronics Engineering, KS Rangasamy College of Technology, Tiruchengode, Tamilnadu, India

Abstract: The eventual goal of this paper is to assess the proficiency of three-dimensional (3D) printers to produce automotive parts. This work is to label the application of hybrid-multi criteria decision making (HMCDM) techniques for resolving the 3D printer selection problem for manufacturing of automotive parts. Fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP), FAHP-visekriterijumska optimizacija i kompromisno resenje (VIKOR) and FAHP-elimination and choice expressing reality (ELECTRE) are the MCDM methods used for evaluation and ranking of the 3D printers. Totally, ten different 3D printer's alternatives such as Lulzbot Taz 5 (Z1), Ultimaker 2 (Z2), Zortrax (Z3), Wanhao Duplicator 4 (Z4), Airwolf 3D AW3D HD2X (Z5), Flashforge creator X (Z6), Makerbot Replicator original (Z7), Delta non-turbo WASP (Z8), Artifex duo 2 (Z9), and UP plus 2 (Z10) and six evaluation criteria such as volume (C1), printing speed (C2), thickness of the layer (C3), extruder(s) (C4), machine cost (C5), and cost of the filament material (C6) are motivated in this study to choose the appropriate 3D printer from the alternatives. The fourth alternative Wanhao Duplicator 4 (Z4) has achieved the top spot among the alternatives using the suggested methodologies.

Keywords: 3D printer; MCDM; fuzzy analytical hierarchy process; FAHP; elimination and choice expressing reality; ELECTRE; visekriterijumska optimizacija i kompromisno resenje; VIKOR.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMPT.2019.102935

International Journal of Materials and Product Technology, 2019 Vol.59 No.3, pp.239 - 252

Received: 17 Aug 2018
Accepted: 28 Jan 2019
Published online: 11 Oct 2019 *

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