On Opportunities and Limitations of Additive Manufacturing Technology for Industry 4.0 Era

This article presents analysis of the role of additive manufacturing within the vision of the Industry 4.0. The key focus areas of Industry 4.0 and the relevance of the developing additive manufacturing in this paradigm shift within the manufacturing industry are highlighted. Based on available literature, some of the central limitations in the current development level of additive manufacturing technology for production of functional parts such as mechanical behavior, surface finish, geometrical accuracy and production rate related limitations are studied and reported. The study shows that, though additive manufacturing represents one of the central paradigms of Industry 4.0, namely smart machines that are decentralized units with local control intelligence and strong communications with other devices, it still requires further research and development.