The Additive Manufacturing in the Industry 4.0 Era: The Case of an Italian FabLab

Nowadays it is possible to create a flexible, automated and agile production, implementing complex technologies, combining physical objects and information systems. Machines and robots are able to communicate each other, to take decisions in an independent way, to self-update and to self-adapt to changing context. The introduction of new automated techniques, the development of sophisticated and autonomous devices and machineries allow the creation of smart factories, giving origin to the Smart Manufacturing phenomenon. Additive manufacturing (AM) is one of the most widespread technologies in operational practices that with rapid prototyping and 3D printing, has revolutionized the production. It is an advanced technology to produce parts, using advanced computer-aided design software. As a consequence, the affirmation of digital fabrication labs, which aim is to promote digital culture, providing innovative tools and sharing knowledge, creating customized products. The present work provides a theoretical contribution to the extant literature of additive manufacturing technology and a practical example to encourage companies to adopt innovative tools. From a practical point of view, it is examined the characteristics and applications of 3D printing in a FabLab in the South of Italy. The methodology used is the case study technique, where information are collected through descriptive survey. The aim of this work is to investigate about the use of additive manufacturing technique, putting in evidence benefits and limits of this technology. In this way it is possible to understand about the development of Industry 4.0 in our country, in particular giving attention to the application of Additive Manufacturing technologies.