Sustainability for 3D Printing

Since the industrial revolution in the eighteenth century, mankind has focused on industrial and economic dominance in the production of products. Due to evolving technologies, processes and materials, economic dominance has become a key factor for product development. But in the last decade, environmental issues have gained importance and it is a critical issue for current and future industries. In this context, additive manufacturing and digital technologies have allowed us to also create new environmental awareness amongst the industrial and scientific community. From the commercial perspective, economic, marketing and social impact are key issues to be addressed. From the industrial perspective, the design, material and processing parameters are critical aspects. All of these issues will influence the uptake and adoption of Additive Manufacturing while increasing environmental awareness. This chapter will provide a global overview on how Additive Manufacturing (AM) has a huge influence on the environment, while increasing both industrial and commercial benefits to society.

3D printing (3DP) is one of the emerging technology in 21th century and popular in academics and industries. Wide range of materials printed by 3DP and it should be noted that the flexibility of 3DP materials comes from the range of 3DP systems and the seven categories specified in the ISO/ASTM standard. Also, it is not surpassed by all new printers or processes for novel materials. 3DP can never be used as a stand-alone process, being an integral part of a multi-process system or an optimised multi-system process to suit the production of innovative materials and new product requirements. 3DP technology has gained popularity in all fields such as automobile, healthcare, aerospace, recreation, textiles, apparel and the fashion market, etc. Researchers, textile technologists, designers of apparel, suppliers and distributors have since the last decade; they have been working on implementing 3DP technology in their respective fields. 3DP has been recognised as an innovative and efficient process but still, a lot of work is going on these days to use sustainable materials in 3DP from an environmental viewpoint. This chapter provides a brief review on biomaterials that can be used in this technology for sustainable development and strengthen the knowledge bank to the young researchers working in this field.

Laser Additive Manufacturing (LAM) has revolutionized industrial manufacturing by enabling the fabrication of lighter, stronger, complex and customized metallic parts. LAM is attractive mainly due to the various freedoms offered by the technology, like—shape design freedom, material design freedom, logistic freedom and post-processing freedom. LAM technology is considered as a green technology due to two major attributes: minimum material wastage as compared to conventional manufacturing techniques and direct conversion of 3D models to 3D components eliminating intermediate development stages. In addition, LAM possess significant potential to build highly efficient functional components with minimal life cycle impact. Thus, the wider adaptation of LAM is dependent on the sustainability of the technology, which is primarily dependent on economic, environmental and societal effects of LAM. Although LAM paves a way towards sustainability in manufacturing, achieving complete sustainability is challenging due to the use of support structures, higher energy consumption, need for post-processing, etc. Thus, assessing the environmental impact and cost-effectiveness at each stages of the life cycle of LAM built components play a significant role in wider adoption of the technology. This chapter compiles an overview of LAM technology and the various associated processes. It discusses the need for sustainability in manufacturing, the factors governing and challenging the sustainability of LAM technology. A comprehensive comparative assessment of LAM with other conventional manufacturing techniques is compiled and the various theoretical models are discussed in detail. At the end, the suggestions and future directions to improve the sustainability of LAM is deliberated. This chapter is a quick-start for novices to understand this novel technology and a reference document for researchers in the field.

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is accountably more used 3D printing process because this process has more flexibility to build complex parts. FDM is layered manufacturing process and is highly affected by a number of working variables. Many research based on the optimum combination of working variables for 3D printing process by aid of conventional and recent optimization techniques. The parametric optimization methods are effectively used to understand conflicting nature of different attributes to increase features of part quality and dimensional accuracy. The main branch of optimization methods is Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), which was further divided into Multi-Attribute Decision Making (MADM) and Multi-Objective Decision Making (MODM). MADM methods are easy to understand and apply, which includes Simple Additive Weighting (SAW), Weighted Product Method (WPM), Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), Grey Relational Analysis (GRA), etc. This study mainly includes parametric optimization of FDM working variables with the help of MCDM methods. Multi-attribute methods are applied to experimental data of FDM process parameters. The problem for optimization taken on the I-optimality criteria applied to FDM process. The mathematical model showing nonlinear relation of working variables and geometric precision is considered while applying MADM methods. The input parameters taken for optimization are layer thickness, air gap, raster angle, build orientation, road width and number of contours, including response variables as percentage change in length, width and thickness. After application of MADM methods to the selected alternatives and attributes, the methods under consideration have shown different rankings. The ranking is determined on the basis of percentage error between best results shown by earlier researcher and the result shown by each selected alternative. Final ranks for these results are determined by the combination of ranking given by percentage error method and applied MADM method and the concluded best rank can be utilized for further applications. Best ranking gives the productive concatenation of working variables which are responsible for dimensional accuracy of FDM of 3D printed part. Also, the comparative evaluation of MADM methods under consideration is carried out and it is found that PROMETHEE method shows the best and more accurate results for this 3D printing process.

3D printing technologies with its advantages such as speed, precision, on-site direct printing, non-stop production, using an adequate amount of material, and manufacturing complex shapes, are effective laboratories for researchers working in field of architectural design. With these technologies, almost any kind of plasticized material can be used and many forms and structures can be printed from scale models to the one-to-one scale end products. With the introduction of concrete, the most widely used material in the construction industry, to the 3D printers, revolutionary developments have occurred in building construction. Although the studies proceed with an experimental approach, authorities argue that this form of production will shift the paradigm of building construction. This article discusses what kinds of change/transformation caused by the technological changes/developments are experienced in the Construction 4.0 process, as one of the most important items of the construction industry: “building with concrete”. This discussion has been conducted through the articles written in English between 2000 and 2020, collected with a comprehensive literature review of ISI Web of Science Database. Keyword scanning is limited with concrete/3D printing/digital production and articles containing a combination of these terms in the title/summary/keywords have been included. In this context, cooperation networks between leading countries, institutions, and actors have been presented while the latest developments related to the use of concrete in 3D printers have been revealed in this bibliometric analysis, and it has been possible to show these networks through clustering technics. It is thought that, by tracing the correlations between the keywords, interfaces of research on forms, materials, technology, and architectural applications that need more research will also be determined.

This work aims to show 3D printing waste recycling efforts and use them in the design of composites with lignocellulosic fibers as reinforcement. The Material-Driven Design (MDD) approach is a methodology that has been used to bring new meanings for the study of materials, and in this work, it was used in the search for sensory and interpretative aspects of the waste and of the developed samples. The waste used in this work was obtained from 3D printers of Technology Incubators Network with Poly (lactic acid) and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene polymeric filaments. As reinforcement was used Açaí (Euterpe Oleracea Mart.) fiber, Jute (Corchorus capsularis) fiber, and wood flour, which have been added in specific quantities to the polymer during the casting process and then poured in silicone molds. The analyzes were made with the residues and with the samples developed based on the MDD method, when groups of students were formed to interact with the samples, seeking to understand the different factors that influence the user experience with the material under study, finding sensory characteristics that can add new meanings and attributes to the recycled material. As a result, there are different perceptions of the material under study that contribute to the design process, generating products and proposals that are environmentally sustainable and have different meanings for users.

This chapter proposes the utilization of agro-waste for the fabrication of bio composite and bio plastics. Agro waste is an efficient source for the fabrication of composite material. In the industrial, medical and agricultural sector, the natural fibres based reinforcement is gaining prominence. The natural fibres are classified based on the origin and can be categorized into plant, mineral and animal. The natural fibres have noteworthy gains over synthetic fibres. The composites and plastics based on naturally available resources are gaining importance due to the renewable and eco-friendly nature with the environment. India is blessed with a wide variety of plants and trees and the waste generated from nature when utilized properly paves a way towards sustainable development. This chapter focuses on the characteristics of some of the typical bio composites and bio plastics. The characteristics of bio composites and bio plastics depend on the treatment and process involved in the conversion of agro-waste. The applications of bio plastics and bio composites in various sectors are also highlighted in this work. The agro waste is one of the sources for the fabrication of bio composites and bio plastics and efficient utilization of agro-waste also generates rural empowerment towards a sustainable green circular economy. The agro waste based bio composites and bio plastics have significant environmental and economic benefits.

Concrete is a versatile composite material that consists of binding and filler materials with calculated water. Due to the sharp rising on the cost of these construction materials, the demands to search for various alternatives have increased. It is a challenge for the researcher’s community to arrive at suitable alternatives without compromising the strength and durability aspects of conventional concrete. Many researchers observed that partial replacement of alternatives on the conventional materials can be suggested way to obtain a desired outcome instead of full replacement and all were in progress stage. The current scenario of the research in terms of arriving suitable alternatives has turned the attention towards the possible utilization of waste materials into the conventional concrete. In India, there was huge availability of waste materials and every year it is simply dumped into the site in an unutilized way. Here an attempt is made to effectively utilize some of the waste materials such as cow dung ash, rice husk ash, sugarcane bagasse ash, GGBS and marble dust into the concrete in the partial replacement in terms of volume fraction 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. The study is focused to estimate the compressive strength of the concrete utilized with those waste materials. For this experimental study totally 126 cube specimens of size 150 mm × 150 mm were casted and water cured for 7 and 28 days. Compressive strength test results were tabulated and compared with various waste materials utilized. It is observed that the GGBS is found to be better among the other waste materials and the optimum ratio was identified as 40% replacement. In this paper, it is also discussed about the 3d printing technology which has drawn the attention of researchers in the world. The scope and possibility of 3d printing of concrete with the utilization of waste materials are highlighted in considering the views of future research and markets of construction sectors.

Since the development of the additive manufacturing (AM) process also prominently known as 3D printing or rapid prototyping there is an exponential increase in its applications under various domains. 3D printing when incorporated with supply chain management can be really helpful to streamline the processes along with waste management. Various factors can be kept in mind while implementing 3D printing along with supply chain management. The waste that is generated from different manufacturing processes when they were being turned into final products can also be reduced to a great extent or can be eliminated if production is done by 3D printing. Rapid Prototyping (RP) is a layer-by-layer manufacturing process. Likewise, Computer-assisted design (CAD) can specifically be used to produce such tri-dimensional physical models. This manufacturing method gives engineers and designers an absolute ability to print the tri-dimensions layout of their concepts and models. Processes for RP includes a quick and cheap alternative for prototyping functional models in contrast with the traditional component production. The benefit of constructing a component layer-by-layer is that even the complex shapes can be easily made which though were the almost impossible to manufacture by machining process. RP can construct complex structures within structures, internal sections, and very thin-walled features equally quickly to construct a simple cube. AM technology emerges as an easy sell in the market to create complex shapes with the material needed and to enhance the design and simulation of complex structures. This results in disruption of technologies that have a global impact on the supply chain and the logistics of the business. The essence of this technology is the potential to deliver goods closer to client standards worldwide while maintaining the automated delivery of those products in real-time. It has major advantages over the management of the supply chain by reducing product, transport, and warehouse capital investment, and by encouraging stores to evaluate a global change in supply chain management. The primary goal is to acquire knowledge about the use and role of 3D printers in the management of the supply chain and to explore the consequences of AM for the management of the supply chain. The key goal of the research is to gain information on the use and role of 3D printing in supply chain management and to study AM’s effect on supply chain administration.

Simultaneously with the arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a particular attention started to be paid to introducing solutions based upon modern technologies in the line of production. Among them, there are, to mention, but one, rapid prototyping techniques, commonly referred to as well as 3D printing. The literature of the subject shows that, regardless of its numerous advantages, managers do not find it easy to accept this technology in production, which is caused by the absence of a clear model showing the business strategy most suitable for the purpose of implementing additive manufacturing, and also determining whether this strategy can be applied to all kinds of products. In connection with what is stated above, the analysis of the 3D printing industry worldwide is conducted in this chapter, and also the method of supply chain management, as exemplified by a selected organisation, taking under particular consideration processes exerting influence upon reducing the waste of raw materials, the loss of working hours and the misuse of financial means, is presented.