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In-Depth Information
Since their goal was to study the carbon footprint generated over an entire
product lifecycle, researchers studied the downstream impact of 3D printing
on the global supply chain. Manufacturing could be greened if companies
used digital inventory and local, just-in-time production—a de-centralized
manufacturing model that 3D printing is ideally suited for. The Atkins Study
concluded that “The application of AM for suitable parts and components,
especially those that are of low volume but high value, can result in a signii-
cant reduction in stock costs and inventory levels.”
One of the most promising (and so far unexplored) environmental beneits
of 3D printed manufacturing was subtle: design optimization. The Atkins study
said that with 3D printing, traditional criteria for design-to-manufacturing
“can be ignored and designers can design what they want or need rather than
what the manufacturing system is capable of producing.” High-performing
parts can help shrink manufacturing's carbon footprint in several ways.
High-performing printed parts
Computers are great problem solvers. Computer-generated designs create a
new breed of products. Reducing weight is an obvious way to shrink a prod-
uct's carbon footprint. For example, for every kilogram that's shaved off the
weight of an airplane the plane will burn approximately 600 fewer liters of
fuel per year.
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This metal airplane part was designed by a computer program
and then 3D printed in metal. The one in the back is the old version;
the one in the front is optimized to weigh less while retaining its
strength and other key properties.
