The PQR-Analysis - A Management Method for the Assessment of 3D-Printing in Spare Part Logistics

Spare part logistics has faced a significant number of challenges including spare part availability over recent decades, speedy on-site availability in situations of need, space consumption for spare part storage and, last but not least, potentially long distances from point of production or storage to point of consumption. Three-dimensional printing (3DP) or additive manufacturing (AM) is a developing cluster of technologies, which may help to master these challenges significantly better than before. Even if 3DP is not a universal solution for all spare parts, for some spare parts it can already be used today, and for others, it might be used tomorrow. We suggest a simple management methodology (the PQR analysis) which helps to identify potential business cases for 3DP in spare part logistics and enables the harvest of “low hanging fruit” potential.