Additive manufacturing and its societal impact: a literature review

Thirty years into its development, additive manufacturing has become a mainstream manufacturing process. Additive manufacturing build up parts by adding materials one layer at a time based on a computerized 3D solid model. It does not require the use of fixtures, cutting tools, coolants, and other a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of advanced manufacturing technology 2013-07, Vol.67 (5-8), p.1191-1203
Main Authors: Huang, Samuel H., Liu, Peng, Mokasdar, Abhiram, Hou, Liang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Additive manufacturing
CAE) and Design
Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD
Coolants
Design optimization
Energy consumption
Engineering
Environmental impact
Fixtures
Hazard assessment
Industrial and Production Engineering
Life cycle assessment
Literature reviews
Mechanical Engineering
Media Management
Original Article
Supply chains
Three dimensional models
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Summary:Thirty years into its development, additive manufacturing has become a mainstream manufacturing process. Additive manufacturing build up parts by adding materials one layer at a time based on a computerized 3D solid model. It does not require the use of fixtures, cutting tools, coolants, and other auxiliary resources. It allows design optimization and the producing of customized parts on-demand. Its advantages over conventional manufacturing have captivated the imagination of the public, reflected in recent mainstream publications that call additive manufacturing “the third industrial revolution.” This paper reviews the societal impact of additive manufacturing from a technical perspective. Abundance of evidences were found to support the promises of additive manufacturing in the following areas: (1) customized healthcare products to improve population health and quality of life, (2) reduced environmental impact for manufacturing sustainability, and (3) simplified supply chain to increase efficiency and responsiveness in demand fulfillment. In the mean time, the review also identified the need for further research in the areas of life-cycle energy consumption evaluation and potential occupation hazard assessment for additive manufacturing.
ISSN:0268-3768
1433-3015
DOI:10.1007/s00170-012-4558-5