Additive Manufacturing in the Mobility Industry: Vol. 2
EPRCOMPV022023
04/15/2024
- Content
- Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as “3D printing,” is often touted as a sustainable technology, especially for metallic components, since it produces either net or near-net shapes versus traditionally machined pieces from larger mill products. While machining from rectilinear or cylindrical mill products is often the case in aerospace, most of the metal parts used in the world are made from flat-rolled products and are quite efficient in metal utilization. Additionally, some aspects of the AM value chain, such as the use of powder that falls outside of the desired size for AM, are often not accounted for when determining sustainability. Finally, since the first production AM parts have only recently entered service, the end-of-life aspect of the AM cycle and the impact of AM on the overall sustainability of the system have not yet been demonstrated. Therefore, the primary question regarding the effectiveness of AM as a more sustainable technology for the mobility industry in general, and for a particular product, needs to be asked and answered.
- Citation
- Slattery, K., and Fu, E., "Additive Manufacturing in the Mobility Industry: Vol. 2,".(Warrendale, PA: SAE International, 2024),.