Application of AHP, Fuzzy AHP and PROMETHEE Method in Solving Additive Manufacturing Process Selection Problem

Abstract

Additive manufacturing is a technology of making a three-dimesional solid object of any shape from a digital model. Today on the global market exist various additive manufacturing processes. All of these processes build parts by applying material layer by layer. In a wide range of different processes there is a problem of selecting an adequate process for a user or company interested in additive manufacturing technology. Solving of such a problem is possible by using multicriteria decision methods which result in ranking of alternatives. Thus the user or company can easily select one of the available additive manufacturing processes. In this paper basic methodology of application of three different multicriteria decision methods in solving the mentioned problem was shown. These methods are: Analytic hierarchy process (AHP), Fuzzy AHP and Preference ranking organization method (PROMETHEE). Available alternatives are processes: 3D printing, Fused Deposition Modeling, Selective Laser Sintering and Photopolymer Jetting.

Keywords

• additive manufacturing
• AHP
• Fuzzy AHP
• PROMETHEE
• selection problem