3D Printing and Ecology: Pt 2 - Minimizing Manufacturing Waste
The
environmental impact 3D printing produces depend on multiple factors. The first
impact is electricity needed to run the printers, in which case is a functional
assessment of time. Time reduction in production decreases the “eco-impacts”
the machines generate. But there is a variation of output/input in a mass-use
factor that is determined by energy use vs. waste. Milling machines rate higher
on lower energy consumption, however, they have a high waste factor that cannot
compete with 3D printing.
A specific example in
reduction in waste benefits generated by 3D printing, CSIRO’s titanium
technologies research, where fish tracking tags are printed instead of the
previous use of milled and machined solid metals. This method has reduced
manufacturing waste by 90% when printing tags, because of the energy
consumption and waste that is generated from processing titanium. Furthermore,
there is an argument whether there is a reduction in eco-impact via transport
of goods, where printed materials reduce transport costs and emissions.
However, Tim Grant, Director of Life Cycle Strategies Pty Ltd, argues that
things made locally has little significance in transport factors, and that
using materials for print still factor into transport and manufacturing costs.
Another and greater factor is toxicity and
pollution. In a test, performed by UC Berkeley’s mechanical engineering
department, various impacts such as CO2, NO ppm of particulate matter and
material waste were measured to determine the extent of the environmental
detriments produced by FDM and Inkjet types of print machines. The FDM machine
produced minimal waste provided support material avoided during printing. The
Inkjet 3D printer wasted an average of 40% of the material, which
post-production is unusable and unrecyclable. Furthermore, the FDM machine has
the ability to produce prints that can be hollow, requiring minimal internal
support thus using less material whereas the Inkjet machine does not possess
the hollowing capability. In addition to waste, the inkjet machine uses UV
light to cure prints, produces more emission than that of the FDM machine, also
resulting in higher energy use to produce prints. As a result FDM type printers
held significantly less ecological impacts than conventional methods of
printing, making them the more “green” machines.
For further interest in
3D printing and machines visit www.3dprint.com
for more information about builds and available products.
Sources:
Adam Morales
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