Low carbon
Manufacturing using 3D printing can reduce the carbon footprint of manufacturing in five ways:
- Traditional production steps that required special patterns, tooling and fixtures can be omitted, so all the related carbon usage can be saved as well.
- Production can be located close to clients, which allows for local shipping and reduces carbon usage in the supply chain.
- Production can be on-demand, thus reducing the need for stockpiles in the supply chain. Stock would normally lead to obsolete stock at some point, and the carbon used for stock is effectively wasted.
- Lighter thin-walled and honeycomb geometries can be made with 3D printing, thus saving energy during usage of that product. There are examples of lighter aircraft parts that save thousands of litres of fuel during take-off and cruising over their lifetime.
- 3D printing produces higher quality and higher accuracy products than some traditional methods, allowing for higher efficiency of that product and lower energy consumption.
