Reducing return rates and improving product fit through additive manufacturing

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Authors
Dissanayake, Asantha
Patel, Akshar
Kesher, Kaustav
Al Turk, Abdelhakim A.
Advisors
Issue Date
2025-03-07
Type
Conference paper
Keywords
Additive manufacturing (AM) , 3D printing , Return rates , Product customization , Customer satisfaction
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
Dissanayake, A., Patel, A., Kesher, K., & Al Turk, A. A. (2025). Reducing return rates and improving product fit through additive manufacturing. In Proceedings of the 31st International Conference on Industry, Engineering and Management Systems (IEMS), 31, 63-72. https://doi.org/10.62704/10057/31311
Abstract

High product return rates create major financial, environmental, and reputational challenges for industries such as fashion, footwear, and medical devices. Many of these returns stem from poor product fit, design flaws, and unmet customer expectations. Additive Manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, offers solutions through customization, prototyping, and reduced material waste. This paper explores how AM improves product quality and customer satisfaction, leading to lower return rates across multiple sectors. Challenges such as material limits, data accuracy, and lack of standardization are also discussed. Overall, AM shows strong potential to support sustainable manufacturing while reducing costs and building consumer trust.

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Description
Published in SOAR: Shocker Open Access Repository by Wichita State University Libraries Technical Services, November 2025. 2025 IEMS Officers: Gamal Weheba (Conference Chair); Hesham Mahgoub (Program Chair); Dalia Mahgoub (Technical Director); Ed Sawan (Publications Editor); Wilfredo Moscoso (Proceedings Editor); Abdulaziz G. Abdulaziz (Associate Editor)
Publisher
Industry, Engineering & Management Systems Conference
Journal
Book Title
Series
Proceedings of the 2025 IEMS Conference, v.31
PubMed ID
ISSN
2690-3210 (print)
2690-3229 (online)
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