Additive Manufacturing: 3D Printing in the Circular Economy

Jimmy Song SNHS Tidbits At 16:38 on December 26, 2022, Taiwan, China, China

Additive Manufacturing: 3D Printing in the Circular Economy

Introduction

The popular saying, “Look after the land and it will look after you. Destroy the land and it will destroy you” illustrates the importance of our environment. In order to preserve and protect our environment from further harm, we will have to focus on developing sustainability. We can accomplish this by employing a circular economy with the use of additive manufacturing (AM) processes over conventional manufacturing (CM) processes (Velenturf and Purnell). AM — commonly known as 3D printing — minimizes waste, uses eco-friendly materials, and reduces energy use, potentially making it the key to an environmentally sustainable future.

Minimizes Waste and Pollution

Fewer raw materials are wasted and less pollution is produced when we use AM over CM. According to professors M. R. Khosravani and T. Reinicke of the University of Siegen, “[AM] allows minimum waste in the manufacturing process as all parts of models, prototypes, tools, molds, and final products are made in one single process” (Khosravani and Reinicke). With everything made layer by layer from bottom to top, the 3D printing machine will only use the required material for the final component and minor supporting structures. Unlike traditional manufacturing, products are made without the need for assembly in AM. This means that the greenhouse gasses typically released during the transportation process will be avoided, lowering pollution levels.

Energy Saving

Besides reducing waste and using environmentally friendly materials, AM is more resource efficient for industries. AM maximizes energy efficiency while reducing fuel consumption during manufacturing (Javaid et al.).

Furthermore, the White House also announced that “Because additive technologies build from the ground up rather than subtracting material that is then scrapped, these technologies can slash materials cost by 90 percent and cut energy use in half” (The White House). If all the industries capable of replacing their current manufacturing process with the AM process do so, we would be much closer to reaching sustainability.

Conclusion

Ecological efficiency is the cornerstone of sustainability, and reductions in energy usage and waste production may lead to significant halts in global warming (Javaid et al.). If more time and resources are invested in the research and development of AM, we may finally manage to produce a functional circular economy.