Understanding Sustainability in Metal Additive Manufacturing — Lesson 3

This lesson covers the concept of sustainability in metal additive manufacturing, focusing on the product lifecycle and its different stages. It delves into the cradle to grave approach, explaining the stages of product and process design, material input and processes, make-to-order, and closing the loop. The lesson also distinguishes between the marketing product lifecycle and the sustainability or lifecycle assessment viewpoint. It further discusses the production phase of the cycle, using additive manufacturing as an example. The lesson concludes by discussing the challenges in the production stage and the end of life strategies.

Video Highlights

00:18 - Discussion on the circle economy and product lifecycle
04:15 - Discussion on the concept of reuse and redesign in additive manufacturing
10:14 - Explanation of the concept of material input processing in the production stage
19:57 - Discussion on the challenges in the end of life stage of the product lifecycle

Key Takeaways

- The product lifecycle in sustainability includes four stages: product and process design, material input and processes, make-to-order, and closing the loop.
- The marketing product lifecycle differs from the sustainability or lifecycle assessment viewpoint.
- The production phase of the cycle involves several steps, including automatization, component production, recycling, repair, and reuse.
- The product lifecycle is divided into three major stages: design, production, and end of life.
- Challenges in the production stage include limited availability of digital designs, cost of acquiring new designs, limited functionality and utility, and reliability and quality of 3D printing processes.