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Greener manufacturing
The promise of cleaner manufacturing lies in fully exploiting the capabilities
unique to 3D printed manufacturing. 3D printing technologies have the poten-
tial to disrupt mass manufacturing in the following ways. First, 3D printers can
fabricate products whose shape is optimized for its application or environment.
Second, storing ready-to-print design iles, or digital inventories, is more eco-
friendly than maintaining environmentally costly warehouses full of physical
inventory. Third, someday distributed 3D printed manufacturing could enable
companies to make products locally, near their customers. Finally, 3D printing
technologies have untapped potential to work with recycled or earth-friendly
printing materials.
Atkins, a low carb diet for manufacturing
Low carb used to mean a diet restricted in bread, pasta and potatoes. In manu-
facturing, low carb means “low carbon,” a more energy eficient approach to
design and production. To researchers at the University of Nottingham (for-
merly at Loughborough University), low-carb manufacturing means reducing
the carbon footprint of the entire product lifecycle, from design, to production,
to part assembly, distribution and inally, disposal.
“Current products are generally wasteful in all aspects, from design and
manufacture to the inal distribution to the consumer,” explained Richard
Hague, a professor at the University of Nottingham. “This is mainly a conse-
quence of conventional processes that restrict our current design, manufacture
and supply chains.” 3 Richard and several colleagues conducted an in-depth
study to compare the carbon footprint left behind by 3D printing and tradi-
tional manufacturing. They called the product the “Atkins Feasibility Study”
(a nod to the famous low-carb Atkins diet).
The purpose of the Atkins Feasibility Study was to assess whether 3D
printers could shrink manufacturing's carbon footprint. Atkins researchers
measured the environmental impact of every facet of the manufacturing pro-
cess: energy consumption, manufacturing waste by-product and transportation
networks. To complete their holistic assessment, Atkins researchers calculated
whether superior design and optimized product shape (advantages unique
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