Sustainable Additive Manufacturing and Environmental Implications: Literature Review

Abstract

This study’s objective is to review the literature on the environmental impact of the additive manufacturing process. When this new manufacturing technology is employed, it aims to create a healthy environment free of pollutants. The work is motivated by the lack of universal guidelines on new design approaches, the classification of manufacturing materials, and processes that address environmental concerns. Using additive manufacturing over traditional subtractive technologies may result in considerable material and energy resource savings, especially if the component is appropriately designed for manufacture. In this scenario, additive manufacturing, regarded as a potential breakthrough innovation, has grown in popularity in producing parts with complex geometry. AM encourages constant product development and flexible modifications that enable stakeholders to create better products faster. This study examines the state-of-the-art essentials of the fast-expanding manufacturing technique known as additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) and compares the environmental impact caused due to environmental issues. With increasing pressure on firms to provide transparency in their product sourcing and manufacturing processes, sustainability is no longer a distant goal but a strategic requirement. Manufacturers must also pay particular attention to their products’ total energy usage and overall environmental impact.

Scientometric exploration of responsible innovation: mapping the knowledge landscape

“…Sustainable supply chain emerges as a niche theme in this period and responsible innovation maintains its position in the emerging or disappearing themes. Thematic analysis revealed that the focus in the product development cluster is on additive manufacturing (AM), investigating AM adoption, and emphasizing inter-organizational collaboration (Luomaranta and Martinsuo, 2022), the need for balanced approaches to optimize creativity and efficiency (Blosch-Paidosh and Shea, 2021;Prabhu et al, 2021), and highlighting sustainability concerns related to environmental impacts (Gopal et al, 2023) and competitiveness (Turkcan et al, 2022). Such focus supports the shift towards a more specialized view of product development, positioning it in the more niche theme quadrant.…”

Low-Carbon Manufacturing of Ti–Si–C Ceramics Using Geopolymer-Binder-Integrated Reactive Feedstocks

“…To reach the net-zero 2050 emissions goal, it is crucial to reduce carbon emissions from high-temperature ceramic production. Additive manufacturing (AM) provides an effective way to manufacture complex geometry while significantly promoting material efficiency and reducing transportation through on-demand and on-site production, resulting in increased sustainability . As AM technology shifts from prototyping to mass production, its environmental impacts cannot be ignored.…”

“…Additive manufacturing (AM) provides an effective way to manufacture complex geometry while significantly promoting material efficiency and reducing transportation through on-demand and on-site production, resulting in increased sustainability. 7 As AM technology shifts from prototyping to mass production, its environmental impacts cannot be ignored. Although current efforts have been spent on developing sustainable feedstocks, low-carbon AM processes remain underexplored.…”

Sustainable additive manufacturing of interference screws made from eco-friendly filament for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

“…AM offers numerous chances to replace subtractive manufacturing techniques as a more sustainable manufacturing technique, and it reduces carbon emissions from new product development, production, and lift cycle operations, especially for complex, value-added, and order-centric items [7]. Compared with the subtractive method, AM can significantly save material and energy resources if the components are correctly designed for manufacturing; as a result, AM technology is thought to significantly improve the manufacturing sector's economic, social, and environmental sustainability [8].…”