Sustainability Characterization for Additive Manufacturing

TLDR

Additive manufacturing enables complex, customized parts with reduced material use and waste, yet its broader adoption is hindered by a lack of standards, limited performance comparison with conventional methods, and economic uncertainties, making sustainability characterization essential. The study aims to characterize AM processes for sustainability to enable comparison with traditional manufacturing methods. The authors conduct a literature review to assess AM’s environmental impacts, propose a sustainability characterization methodology, and discuss research directions and standardization efforts.

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) has the potential to create geometrically complex parts that require a high degree of customization, using less material and producing less waste. Recent studies have shown that AM can be an economically viable option for use by the industry, yet there are some inherent challenges associated with AM for wider acceptance. The lack of standards in AM impedes its use for parts production since industries primarily depend on established standards in processes and material selection to ensure the consistency and quality. Inability to compare AM performance against traditional manufacturing methods can be a barrier for implementing AM processes. AM process sustainability has become a driver due to growing environmental concerns for manufacturing. This has reinforced the importance to understand and characterize AM processes for sustainability. Process characterization for sustainability will help close the gaps for comparing AM performance to traditional manufacturing methods. Based on a literature review, this paper first examines the potential environmental impacts of AM. A methodology for sustainability characterization of AM is then proposed to serve as a resource for the community to benchmark AM processes for sustainability. Next, research perspectives are discussed along with relevant standardization efforts.