Industry News | Nature Sustainability 3D Printing Sustainability Analysis

Recently, a group of researchers published an article in the journal Nature Sustainability titled "A Vision for Sustainable Additive Manufacturing", outlining their vision for a sustainable and circular additive manufacturing ecosystem.They propose that through system-level approach development, 3D printing can support more environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. This means integrating sustainability at all stages of the additive manufacturing process chain, including designing 3D printers, developing raw material processes, selecting supply chains, and recycling and reuse after end-of-life.

The researchers recommend integrating sustainability-optimized design into existing design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) principles, while the industry must follow global sustainability initiatives such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the European Green Deal.

Looking ahead, they suggest the importance of a "new role for additive manufacturing" based on environmentally sustainable practices. While additive manufacturing is "not inherently circular or sustainable," they believe it has a key role to play in creating a circular economy.

Researchers Vision for Sustainable Additive Manufacturing

The researchers came from universities in Italy, the Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden and the United States. They outlined threats to raw material supplies from global climate change, biodiversity loss and political instability.

A common argument in favor of 3D printing is that it reduces material waste. However, the researchers point out that the reality is not black and white, and that "large reductions in waste are rare".

Studies have shown that although additive manufacturing can sometimes reduce material waste, this largely depends on the specific 3D printing technology and application scenario.

Compared with traditional manufacturing processes such as injection molding, casting, and extrusion, the 3D printing process is less material efficient. For example, polymer powder bed fusion (PBF) can produce up to 44% of plastic powder waste. In addition, printing based on photocurable resins generates liquid resin waste, while 3D printed support structures are often discarded.

The paper also outlines the negative environmental impact of 3D printer energy use. Research shows that the energy consumption of most polymer 3D printers exceeds the total energy consumption of injection molded ABS plastic. Similarly, additive manufacturing consumes more energy per kilogram of metal material than traditional processes such as casting, molding, forging or extrusion.

The researchers also questioned the claim that additive manufacturing eliminates transport emissions. They explained that the raw materials needed for 3D printing still need to be transported globally, and that additive manufacturing only reduces the need to "transport the materials used in the different parts.

How to overcome these misconceptions about 3D printing? According to the authors, the answer lies in a more comprehensive, context-based life cycle analysis (LCA). Future analysis should clarify where 3D printing has sustainability issues. Without consideration of material production and end-of-life impacts, opportunities to develop new sustainable 3D printing materials and processes may be missed.

Researchers Vision for Sustainable Additive Manufacturing

A Scheme for 3D Printing of Sustainable Wind Turbine Blades in Remote Areas

The authors further explain how additive manufacturing technology can be used to make existing design practices more sustainable. They believe that all products should be designed to be easy to repair and maintain. When the mass production and long-term storage of spare parts is no longer cost-effective, rapid prototyping manufacturing technology can produce spare parts on demand.

In addition, the authors suggest a scalable design. Manufacturers should focus on updating existing products to meet the changing needs of customers by adding new features and functions, thereby extending product life and reducing waste. However, they also acknowledge that further exploration is needed to ensure the profitability of this business model.

Another design consideration is the reusability of parts at the end of their life cycle. This method aims to make the parts easy to disassemble and reassemble into new products, giving the parts a second life. The authors believe that additive manufacturing is well suited for this application, but stress that new guidelines, decision support and intelligent systems are needed to achieve this.

Finally, the researchers note that products should be designed with recyclability in mind. This often results in a degraded recycling of raw materials in terms of quality. While additive manufacturing has been used to process materials containing different proportions of recycled ingredients, more research is needed to determine how best to handle recycled raw materials because impurities can cause printing to fail.

Sustainable and recyclable 3D printing powder material

In order to achieve this goal, the report points out the need to maximize the utilization of 3D printers, that is, reduce the number of 3D printers working around the clock. This is because these technologies can reduce the resource and energy consumption required to produce each component by a factor of 10 or even 100 compared to traditional manufacturing methods. In addition, there is a need to take advantage of next-generation technologies and materials, as well as design processes that take into account the sustainable benefits of additive manufacturing.

The researchers ultimately believe that their vision for sustainable additive manufacturing can only be achieved if the key stakeholders have the same intent and commitment in achieving the sustainability goals.