A cost model for the investment feasibility of quality inspection technologies in the Zero Defect Manufacturing era
针对中小企业投资无损检测技术时忽视成本影响的问题，提出一个将检测技术纳入多阶段成本结构的投资决策模型，并通过增材制造案例验证其可行性。
The current global market forces companies to focus on suitable manufacturing based on zero defect and zero waste strategies. Higher energy prices and critical raw material supply disruptions stimulate the implementation of non destructive inspection technologies for real-time quality assurance, which aims to increase high-quality products and lower production costs via better materials and energy uses. By embracing these advancements, businesses address market dynamics and strategically position themselves for sustained success in a competitive and resource-conscious world. Traditionally, in small and medium enterprises, new manufacturing or inspection equipment is acquired based on a management decision that is, in turn, based in quality purposes and does not focus deeply on the impact on the final factory cost reduction. This research focuses on developing a costing procedure to incorporate the impact of Non Destructive Inspection Technologies into the multistage cost structure for investment decisions. A case study is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the cost breakdown and return on investment for justifying the investment of the Non Destructive Inspection Technology in additive manufacturing machinery. The proposed cost model provides a framework to preliminary assess the viability of Non Destructive Inspection Technologies investments.