Systematic approach for identifying possible greenhouse gas emission reduction possibilities with additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (shortened as AM) is a modern production method with many possible applicationsthroughout wide industrial, medical and consumer sectors. The technology is referred as 3D printing in the case of consumer... [ view full abstract ]

Additive manufacturing (shortened as AM) is a modern production method with many possible applicationsthroughout wide industrial, medical and consumer sectors. The technology is referred as 3D printing in the case of consumer applications. Additive manufacturing is a general term for industrial manufacturing technologies for creating physical objects by adding material layer by layer. Additive manufacturing technologies have shown great promise due to freedom of design and ability to add functionalities to products. In addition, additive manufacturing may offer significant environmental benefits to manufacturing industry. In this study, a systematic approach for identifying greenhouse gas emission reduction possibilities by utilizing additive manufacturing is presented. The study is based on life cycle thinking and systematic literature review. The scope of the study is manufacturing and process industry. The medical and consumer “hobbyist” applications are not included in the study. The framework is applicable for all additive manufacturing process categoriesdefined in ISO 52900. The framework consists of 1) defining the actor using the AM technology, 2) defining the use application of AM product, and 3) defining the baseline and 4) system boundaries for the comparison to identify the possible GHG reductions. It is concluded that additive manufacturing can offer significant greenhouse gas emission reductions during product life time i.e.through increased energy and process efficiency when applied in relevant applications. However, applying additive manufacturing does not always result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions. When aiming at more sustainable manufacturing systems, it is crucial to utilize life cycle thinking. More research is needed also for more extensive life cycle inventory databases and further life cycle assessment based case studies.

Keywords: additive manufacturing, environmental sustainability, life cycle assessment, greenhouse gas emissions