As competition in the space industry grows, so does the demand for high-performance, lightweight, and cost-efficient space products. Additive Manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a promising solution, offering design freedom beyond the capabilities of traditional subtractive manufacturing. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), in particular, enables the production of metal components with complex geometries and short lead times while still meeting the stringent requirements of the space industry. However, LPBF introduces new design constraints and process-specific challenges, such as surface roughness, that impact dimensional accuracy, material properties, and manufacturability. These issues contribute to design uncertainty during product development, necessitating careful consideration of design decisions and their knock-on impacts on product performance and the overall development process. Addressing these issues requires effective Design for AM (DfAM) support to help engineers balance innovative design potential with production feasibility. 

This thesis investigates how designers are supported in understanding and addressing AM-specific challenges during product development, with a focus on surface roughness in LPBF. Inspired by the Design Research Methodology, the research comprises five studies, combining systematic literature reviews, an industrial case study, experimental testing, and interviews with twenty AM aerospace professionals.

The findings identify several surface roughness–related design considerations and explore how process knowledge can be embedded in design support. Eleven key characteristics of effective design support are identified and used to evaluate a design process for identifying, exploring, and mitigating AM design uncertainties through product-specific AM design artefacts (AMDAs). Leading to the development of the AMDA method, an enhanced framework for structured design uncertainty investigation. Interview insights reveal the state-of-the-art practices, challenges, and gaps in existing DfAM support. Further, models of the aerospace AM design approach are presented, capturing how AM affects the product development process.

This thesis offers actionable insights for evaluating and improving DfAM support, helping engineers make better-informed design decisions. It highlights how AM alters the design process and the need to link buildability and performance more explicitly in design support. Overall, the thesis guides the development of AM design support that will aid the creation of easy-to-manufacture, qualifiable, and cost-effective AM product designs for the space industry.