Deepening the impact of Additive Manufacturing on Mass Customization and exploring the joint contribution of Product Configurator

Manufacturers are experiencing a surge in demand for bespoke products, driven by consumers seeking items that align with their distinct tastes and needs. This trend towards personalized products comes with stringent expectations of high quality, swift delivery, and reasonable costs. As a response, many businesses are turning to mass customization (MC), a strategy that merges the efficiency of mass production with the appeal of customized offerings. This approach is becoming crucial for companies striving to stay competitive in the market. Consequently, the rise of Industry 4.0 technologies, notably Additive Manufacturing (AM), is becoming one of the key enablers of MC. AM is rapidly developing as an effective method for delivering MC, offering a blend of efficiency and personalization in manufacturing. This research aims to deeply investigate the role of AM in enhancing MC and exploring the interaction between AM and product configurator (PC) for enhanced mass customization capability (MCC), being configurators a support to digitalize the upstream part of a customization process while AM is digitalized technology that support the downstream part of a customization process. The research methodology is multifaceted, encompassing a systematic review of existing literature, in-depth interviews with experts in the field, and case studies focusing on web-based product configurators. The study uncovers AM's disruptive impact on the traditional manufacturing paradigms, especially in terms of customization, cost-efficiency, time-saving, and quality enhancement in MC. It highlights the pivotal role of AM in overcoming conventional manufacturing limitations and highlights how the interaction between AM and PC leads to more robust and efficient MC processes. Academically, this thesis enriches the existing body of knowledge by systematically categorizing current research, identifying new areas for future investigation, and deepening the comprehension of AM's role in MC. From a practical perspective, it offers valuable insights for incorporating AM into operational processes and guides the development of PCs that are specifically designed for AM, thereby optimizing the MC process. This thesis stands as a comprehensive exploration of the intersection of AM, MC, and PC. It not only contributes significantly to academic research but also has practical implications for the evolving field of manufacturing, particularly in the context of MC and AM.