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The three-dimensional (3D) product model has become a tool that has transitioned from a legacy instrument, used in design, to an emerging technology applied to production and assembly processes. As this evolution has occurred, the need has developed to understand the value of deploying the 3D product model beyond the design phase. This research answers the question and solves the problem, does electronic documentation inclusive of the 3D product model add to the production workers’ ability to complete the production task? To answer this question, the methods used were that the research team tested how accurately and quickly a production and assembly team could build the product using interactive, electronic documentation, including the 3D product model, as a means to understand the design intent as opposed to printed bills of materials (BOMs) and two-dimensional (2D) paper drawings. The conclusions that can be drawn from this research are that the research found statistically significant improvements in the production throughput time (~10%), reductions in the direct labor hours per unit (~14%), and retained quality levels, when deploying electronic documentation, including the 3D product model, into the production and assembly processes. Through the deployment of the interactive 3D product model electronic documentation to the production floor, the organization also took a step towards creating a digital twin of the produced product and laid a foundation for the further adoption of Industry 4.0 practices. The novelty of the work and the areas where it goes beyond previous efforts in the literature concerns the current body of knowledge that does not demonstrate a repeatable methodology through which industry and other researchers can replicate the experiment on demonstrating economic value when deploying the 3D product model to production and assembly processes. In this paper, the authors aim to build on prior work to demonstrate a repeatable methodology for determining the economic value of 3D product model deployment in production and assembly processes through applied research.

The 3D product model has long been a tool used by engineers to design and plan for the physical creation of a 3D object. The way in which the 3D product model has been applied to production and assembly processes has evolved over time, yet the current body of knowledge does not document that evolution. The purpose of this article is to collect and structure the evolution of 3D product model research, categorizing the ways in which the body of knowledge has evolved over time, while also providing a look into projected applications and research focuses of the 3D product model. The result of this article is the development of sixteen 3D product model research themes and the categorization of the body of knowledge within those themes, establishing a basis for 3D product model research ontology. Then, the paper explores where the evolution of the 3D product model is trending based on discussions with industry experts. The authors aim to provide a foundation for a comprehensive and interdisciplinary discussion amongst academia and industry about the current state and future trends of research on the 3D product model and its application in production and assembly processes.

Prior research has shown qualitatively that organizations can increase the value created in their production and assembly processes through the implementation of three-dimensional (3D) product models in those processes. This paper moves beyond qualitative value to develop and calibrate a quantitative model for the value of 3D product model use in production and assembly processes. The principal contributions of this research are development of the quantitative model and determination of the quantitative value of deploying the 3D product model in assembly and production processes; findings developed through interviews with industry experts in industrial and systems engineering to gather the model inputs, calculate the outputs, and then calibrate the model with those industry experts. These results are then compared against the qualitative value categories from prior research to determine the alignment in order and magnitude with the quantitative model results. This paper concludes with a recommendation of where both industry and academia focus future implementation efforts and research based upon the associated results demonstrated in both the qualitative and quantitative model on the value of 3D product model use in assembly and production processes.

Organizations can enhance the value of their assembly planning, assembly design, and assembly shop floor execution through the use of the 3D product model. Once a tool targeted at product design, the 3D product model, enabled by current and emerging manufacturing process management technologies, can create additional value for organizations when used in assembly processes. The research survey conducted and described in this paper demonstrates the value organizations have seen in using the 3D product model in the assembly process. The paper also explores the current state of those organizations who have not yet implemented the use of the 3D product model in their assembly processes and the value that they foresee for possible future implementation. The essential findings of this research are the five qualitative areas in which value is derived from using the 3D product model in complex assembly processes and how those value drivers apply across various industries and organization sizes. These results provide a framework for future research to develop quantitative models of the value of the 3D product model use in assembly processes.