# Development Workflow for Manifolds and Fluid Components Based on Laser Powder Bed Fusion
## 2 Methodology Development
As the final part of the embodied design phase, task eleven takes into account the post-processing of the part. For manifold bodies, the powder removal from the complex channels is of high importance. Therefore, the entrance and exit of every channel must be designed with an opening in the unfinished manifold. Further, considerations on the deburring of the machined installation spaces and the final cleaning of all channels are taken into account. These processes must remove all chips, coolant-, oil-, or powder residuals from the manifold in- and outside. The proposed sequence of eleven tasks leads to the unfinished AM geometry, which is manufactured on the available LPBF system. Due to the definition of all boundary conditions at the beginning of the development, the resulting design shall be suitable for the given AM system and its limitations. To verify the decisions taken in the previous steps without the financial and time-consuming risk of a complete, fully utilized build job, this study proposes to manufacture a section of the complete manifold, which contains critical features, under similar fabrication circumstances. In a second manufacturing step of the pre-study, the efficiency of the projected machining strategy is assessed, and necessary alterations to upstream tasks can be implemented. If the pre-study does not indicate issues in the additive manufacturing and subtractive finishing, the complete, first build is to be manufactured and finished according to the specifications in the manufacturing phase. To enable comprehensive product development, it is the final task of the proposed methodology, to assess the developed manifold by technological as well as economic aspects. For the technological assessment, firstly, all resulting product characteristics such as weight, size, fluid flow, or mechanical resistance are to be identified and matched with the requirements list. Secondly, all noticeable problems identified during the build job, or by visual inspection of the part and their cause are to be described. Finally, as the internal shape of the manifold is of high importance for its functionality but may be inaccessible by endoscopes due to its complex shape, industrial computer tomographic (CT) scanning is suggested to inspect the manifold-inside without damaging the part. Furthermore, the global shape accuracy of the part can be examined with the results of the CT scan [31]. The economic evaluation of the part is conducted in multiple stages. As there is no single formula that can represent manufacturing costs, lifecycle costs, customer value, and corporate value of the part, the study applies a four-stage evaluation based on the findings of [PERSON] [32]. The first stage specifies the geometric complexity of the part, and therefore its suitability for AM. As the previous tasks guided the designer towards a geometry specifically designed for AM, there should be little doubt about its suitability. The second stage calculates the manufacturing costs of the AM manifold. As most manifold bodies require post-processing of functional surfaces, a classification of the costs for the unfinished part by AM and the subtractive finishing should be taken into account. Further, if part consolidation was achieved, differences in the assembly costs are to be introduced into the calculation. The third stage of the evaluation is the most important for AM parts. This stage regards the added value and increased product performance through advanced design. For manifold bodies being designed for reduced weight and improved fluid flow, this consists primarily of a reduction in lifecycle costs, which are quantifiable in many cases. Added customer value in contrast, such as a reduced installation size of the assembly, is only monetarily rateable if related to an existing customer project. With an increased level of detail, aspects such as impacts on the process and supply-chain or effects on sustainability are to be considered [33].