Aspects of a Sustainability Focused Comparison of the Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) and the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) Process

Abstract

AbstractDetermining whether additive manufacturing processes for metallic materials offer a high potential regarding the ecological sustainability dimension not only depends on the materials used, it is also significantly influenced by the individual process chain. Within the the product life cycle, the production phase is decisive for the impact until the end of life. By analyzing this time- and resourceintensive phase, it is possible to make decisive conclusions concerning the characteristics of the product itself in the preceding phase of product development. Moreover, as part of innovative new manufacturing processes, the question arises as to how these can be optimized in terms of diverse sus-tainability aspects. In order to be able to formulate such statements, detailed process analysis is required first, to identify specific hotspots within the phases as well as to refer to the individual parameters or parameter sets of the manufacturing process examined.In this paper, two processes, the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and the Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) process, are compared with each other regarding their environmental impact. Based on the results of a life cycle assessment according to ISO 14040ff., phaserelated impacts are calculated, processspecific hotspots are identified and statements regarding ecological sustainability potentials within the process chains are deduced.KeywordsAdditive manufacturingLife cycle assessmentSustainability analysis