Sustainability aspects of additive manufacturing: Leveraging resource efficiency via product design optimization and laser powder bed fusion

Abstract

Natural resource is used for producing useful components and in the process fractions of Natural resources are used for producing useful components and in the process fractions of valuable resources are lost as waste or emissions into the ecosystem. The continuous usage of natural resources causes their scarcity alongside the negative impacts. Manufacturing sectors aim to control these impacts. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies including additive manufacturing (AM), simulations, internet of things and connectivity promise resource consumption, functions and sustainability improvements.Simulation-assisted design for AM boosts productivity via swift and novel product designs to achieve resource efficiency, cost effectiveness, and process efficacy. New integrated and iterative methods of creating optimized product designs enabled by I4.0 elements offer alternative route of light weighting, and digitalization. Optimized designs help control resource scarcity including efficient use of raw materials, energy efficient products, reduced waste, and pollution to achieve sustainable goals. This study aims to guide AM users on how computer design and simulation assisting tools help to digitally create optimized lightweight products, test performance, plan manufacturing without committing to physical manufacturing cost. The study using review and experimental case study shows how AM and, particularly, laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) through optimized product designs influence either component functionality, build weight or manufacturing time towards resource and energy improvements. The results of the experimental study show prospective scenarios for maximizing resource efficiency in L-PBF through combined build and optimized build orientations. This study adds to ongoing sustainability aspects of AM relating to product design optimization in support to sustainable excellence.