Additive manufacturing, better known as 3D printing, is a technology that allows many different shapes and geometries to be manufactured with a single device (the 3D printer). In other words these modern manufacturing machines are multi-purpose and within their limitations they are "universal" in what they can produce. Another way of manufacturing is that of using a single purpose (single part manufacturing) machines that are typically optimized in the production of a single part (or a product). The difference between these machines in other words (roughly) is that the 3D printers are flexible, while one-purpose machines are not. Explain, under what circumstances would you choose a 3D printer for parts production and under what circumstances would you choose a single part production system? Explain what kinds of risks these choices carry.

Hint: In our case company the cost of production of part X with a 3D printer is 20000 euro more expensive during the lifetime of the product production, under what kinds of circumstances would you buy the printer?