Abstract
PurposeAlthough additive manufacturing (AM; 3D printing/3DP) is presently in its infancy, once it becomes economically viable for mass production, it would revolutionize the operation and supply chain network of traditional businesses and manufacturing industries. To this end, approaches for ensuring a smooth transition of the economy, businesses, manufacturing centers and related services are being investigated. This review paper assesses the existing literature on the impact of AM on the maritime transportation sector.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a systematic literature review through three methodological phases: (1) a comprehensive review of the number of English language literature studies published on the topics of AM or 3DP (1970–2021); (2) a bibliometric analysis of selected keyword combinations and (3) a detailed review on the impact of AM on different sectors.FindingsThe key findings are that existing studies do not attempt to forecast shipping volume and ton-miles that can be affected by the mainstreaming of the technology. Additionally, existing literature that focuses on the impact of the technology on different shipping categories is limited to studies on container ships.Originality/valueThe review identifies some potential areas of research that since maritime transportation will be affected by mainstreaming AM, it will have economic, social and environmental impacts on global trade that require future assessment.
Subject
Marketing,Management Science and Operations Research,Economics and Econometrics,Transportation,Management Information Systems
Reference109 articles.
1. Additive manufacturing: challenges, trends, and applications;Advances in Mechanical Engineering,2019
2. 3D printing, international trade, and FDI;Economic Modelling,2020
3. A new fully additive fabrication process for printed wiring boards;IEEE Transactions on Components, Hybrids, and Manufacturing Technology,1986
4. Impact of additive manufacturing on the Vietnamese transportation industry: an exploratory study;The Asian Journal of Shipping and Logistics,2020
5. Anheier, H.K. and Juergensmeyer, M. (Eds) (2012), Encyclopedia of Global Studies, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.