Life Cycle Assessment of an Additive Manufacturing System for Sustainable Fibred Composite Production

The need for increased efficiency in manufacturing technologies has been emphasized with the ongoing increase of global greenhouse gas emissions. One of the most promising technologies is Additive Manufacturing, which has the potential to reshape the manufacturing landscape. This paper conducted a Life Cycle Assessment of an Experimental Rig capable of printing composite materials, with the goal of evaluating its environmental performance and compare with conventional manufacturing methods. The results show that in the equipment impacts, the switchboard and the structure contribute most to the total impacts of the 3D printer. When analyzing the environmental impacts of using this equipment to print an object with polyamide reinforced with carbon fibers, the results showed that the equipment-related impacts are only relevant in the freshwater eutrophication category, while in the remaining categories, energy consumption is the main contributor. A comparison with conventional manufacturing showcased the need to improve both the printing process and the system design in order for the environmental performance to be comparable with current technology. Design decisions to further develop this system should focus on reducing printing time to improve energy efficiency and select material suppliers that incorporate renewable energy into the production line. The analysis of scaled-up scenarios is recommended for future studies, integrating the provided recommendations into an AM-rooted composite manufacturing process.