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consumption. The efficiency gains over
traditional manufacturing, for example,
could easily be offset by growth in consumption or by the life cycle impacts".
To date, however, few studies have
examined the variety of environmental
impacts of 3D printing over its lifetime,
such as energy use, transportation costs,
and pollution, compared with traditional manufacturing. Further large-scale
research is needed.
It is expected that sustainability professionals, especially in industry sectors,
such as consumer products and electronics, automobiles and medicine, will track
3D printing developments, used by their
companies and stakeholders, for sustainability implications.
One issue that may crop up for sustain-
ability professionals relates to the materials used in 3D printing. As Dr Bert Bras,
Professor of Mechanical Engineering at
the US Georgia Institute of Engineering
explains: "Some materials require HSE
expertise. Whenever you deal with fine
powders, you can get dust explosions
and/or respiratory problems. So that's a
real concern for operators".
When looking for evidence of environmental benefits, Bras advises sustainability professionals to seek proof using
ISO14001 standard Life Cycle Analysis
(LCA).
However, while 3D printing looks likely to cause disruption. Both in the way
we use materials and design products, as
limitations and barriers improve, most
3D printing experts are quick to correct
the misconception that every home will
own a 3D printer.
As with any new technology, there are
advantages and disadvantages, and the
environmental impacts are hard to anticipate.
More research is needed, with policy to
encourage sustainable printing.
No one knows exactly what the future
holds. Time, perhaps, to print off that
crystal ball!
