Experimental Study and Life Cycle Assessment of Powder Bed Fusion 3D Printed Parts

The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by the industrial sector is a theme that has been gaining more and more popularity since the 20th century. The search for sustainable development is leading the development of alternative production methods beyond traditional manufacturing. Additive manufacturing is one of the methods being promoted to reduce impacts on the environment. However, the pace of growth in the implementation of additive manufacturing in the industry has not been followed by the development of research analyzing the effect of this manufacturing process on the emission of greenhouse gases. Among the 3D printing techniques with limited environmental literature is the Powder Bed Fusion (PBF). This article contributes to filling the gap in the literature on the environmental impact of PBF technology, through the application of the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The experimental procedure for collecting part production data with a Powder Bed Fusion 3D Printer is presented. The Life Cycle Assessment methodology compares the environmental impact of the same part being manufactured through conventional machining and 3D printing. The LCA developed in this research, with a Cradle-to-gate scope, demonstrates that the PBF technology results in a lower environmental impact than conventional machining for this defined study case.