Technological capabilities and sustainability aspects of metal additive manufacturing

Abstract

Additive manufacturing technologies can produce complex components in a more efficient and environmentally sustainable way when compared with conventional manufacturing technologies. These advantages are expected to keep cementing Additive manufacturing role in several industries. Additive manufacturing technologies are fast-improving technologies with an estimated doubling of performance on average every five years. These fast developments make it difficult to keep track of current technological capabilities and environmental impacts. Among the most relevant additive manufacturing technologies there are the metal additive technologies of Powder Bed Fusion, Directed Energy Deposition and Binder Jetting. This paper assesses the current technological capabilities and environmental impact of these technologies. For that, resorting to data from literature, technical reports and company data sheets, the technological steps are defined, the relevant process parameters are established, and qualitative and quantitative data is gathered. A set of visualizations of process capabilities and their environmental impact is performed with the intent of helping designers and engineers with decision-making. It is also interesting for the research community to visualize and understand the current capabilities and to establish roadmaps for research. Limitations of this study include data currently available for each parameter, and the shortage of data for the environmental calculations.