3D printing technology was created in the mid-80s to accelerate product development for industrial engineers who were tired of waiting months in between iterations. Providing the ability to create a 3D file and then modify their designs within seconds, 3D printing made it possible for designers and engineers to envision their products clearly, and take much greater control over their work–from completing a model to choosing from an array of continually advancing technology and materials.
Suddenly, designers had a world of possibilities open to them, beginning with mass customization. Industrial manufacturers could prototype aerospace or models for robotics, and test for form and fit much more expediently, while it also became feasible to offer personalized products directly, meeting specific customer needs in a wide range of applications–whether for 3D printed drones or consumer goods like fine jewelry. Today, many customers rely on Shapeways for rapid prototyping, but they may also use the same materials for manufacturing high-performance, functional products.
Classic benefits of 3D printing include saving exponential time in development and production, savings in cost, and savings in the amount of inventory on hand as well as warehouse space due to on-demand production. But how does 3D printing reduce waste?
Energy and Material Usage Can Be Significantly Reduced
“Based on layer by layer fabrication, many advantages can be achieved by 3D printing, for example, material waste is significantly reduced and also the supporting material, which is utilized to make the increasingly exotic geometries possible, is able to be recycled into raw material after 3D printing is finished,” states information from Sustainability of 3D Printing: A Critical Review and Recommendations. “Meanwhile, many CNC machined parts are produced from block, which is always significantly more than the part that is to be produced, it is said that the ratios of waste of materials with the material ends-up in the final part can reach up to 19:1.”
“In contrast with traditional manufacturing process, 3D printing releases less carbon dioxide because of less energy usage compared with the traditional pattern of factory manufacturing and shipping to warehouses.”
Whether Shapeways engineers are manufacturing large industrial parts in metal or smaller, more intricate objects, there are many opportunities for 3D printing sustainability in recycling and reusing 3D printing materials.
Lightweight Materials Reduce Environmental Impact
For any type of 3D printed part, less material usage begins with the capacity to make strong parts that are also lightweight. In some cases they may also be hollowed out internally, saving weight as well as cost and material usage.
“Lightweight design is significant to reduce environmental impacts both in manufacturing and usage phases. Design for AM plays an important role in this area,” states information in Sustainability and Environmental Impact of Additive Manufacturing: A Literature Review. “Methods like the part consolidation, topology optimization, lattice structure, and bio-inspired geometries are promising for improving the lightweight design of AM products.”
“Energy consumption is a major contributor to the environmental impact of AM, while the product design for AM is promising to achieve sustainability of AM.”
Shapeways uses many 3D printing materials that can be recycled or reused. This is true for popular nylon thermoplastics such as Nylon 12 [Versatile Plastic] and MJF PA12, respectively, 3D printed with powder-based technology like Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Multi Jet Fusion (MJF). Industrial additive manufacturing powders can be saved after one run for the next build.
Smart Packing Plays a Role in Sustainability
Good planning leads to an even greater edge in sustainability. SLS 3D printing serves as a great example, with the potential for reducing resources while packing hundreds of models into one build through smart packing or nesting. While nesting was previously a manual process, now Shapeways leverages proprietary purpose-built software, which includes 3D printing nesting software, ensuring quality, and consistent 3D printed parts. The software does all the ‘hard thinking,’ delineating whether or not a part fits into a build tray, and where.
Nesting software interlocks and rotates 3D printed models, sorting them and condensing them as tightly as possible. Balance is important, and different shapes and sizes of parts have to be taken into consideration—especially when they are fragile and may need to be placed at the top, rather than sitting under powder where there could be the potential for damage in a large build. Streamlined, dense packing of parts reduces the height of the build platform, saves materials, and speeds up production.
One of the greatest advantages of additive manufacturing technology like SLS and MFJ is also the elimination of support requirements. Unsintered powder bunches around parts during production, stabilizing structures, and also meaning that they do not require support structures. This leads to much greater design freedom as designers are able to engineer parts without having to worry about compensating for intricate supports too. No requirements for supports means less use of materials ultimately, as well as reducing the potential for damage in post-processing and forcing the need for repeated 3D printing.
On-Demand Production Eliminates Physical Inventory
On-demand 3D printing changes the landscape not only in manufacturing, but also in the way we think about offering inventory, storing it, and saving on warehouse space. All the hours in labor and space devoted to making sure inventory is on hand just for the possibility that a customer randomly requires a specific part or product can now be narrowed down to one digital file.
With the ability to keep inventory completely on digital file rather than in physical form, nothing needs to be manufactured until the customer is ready. At that point though, it’s all systems go for 3D printing products that can be as customized as necessary, and manufactured from localized factories rather than one that might be so far away that supply chain issues enter the picture. For companies who have relied on the methods for decades, it may be hard to imagine making such changes. The ability to 3D print on demand, however, means conserving time, materials and energy, and cutting expenses.
No longer just a concept or a hopeful plan for the future, sustainability continues to grow as a major benefit–and a defining force–for all manufacturers. The rewards are undeniably worth it for worldwide innovation, production, and delivery of quality products into customers’ hands.
About Shapeways
Enjoy the benefits of this advanced technology and a wide range of materials from Shapeways for 3D printing your creations with accuracy, complex detail, and no minimum or limits in terms of mass customization or single part orders. Shapeways has worked with over 1 million customers in 160 countries to 3D print over 21 million parts! Read about case studies, find out more about Shapeways additive manufacturing solutions, and get instant quotes here.