sustainability
3D Printed Shoe Soles Cut CO2 Emissions by 48%, Study Says
According to a study published in February 2022 titled “The First Environmental Evaluation of 3D-Printed Footwear,” the current standard production process involved in footwear manufacturing leads to “an industry where…
Metal 3D Printing at AMS 2022: Metals & New Materials
In part one of my coverage of metal 3D printing at Additive Manufacturing Strategies 2022, I discussed the first session of the day, Additive Manufacturing for Series Production of Metal Parts, while…
Greenwashing: 3D Printing’s New “Dirty Little Secret”
A few years ago, as we moved along the Hype Cycle after having dipped into the Trough of Disillusionment, things were looking up again for 3D printing. This time there…
Design for Disruption: Love and 3D Printing Redundancy
In this ongoing series, we’re looking for opportunities where 3D printing can disrupt large markets with millions of parts by applying new strategies. We’ve looked at how we can design…
AMS Speaker Spotlight: Recyclable Thermoplastic Cellulose-based Composite for 3D Printing
Authors: Heli Kangas1, Kirsi Immonen1, Sini Metsä-Kortelainen1, Tomi Kalpio2, Leo Staccioli3 1VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, 2Brinter Oy, Finland, 3 Arditec Association, France There is a worldwide trend towards…
Interview: How HP’s Acquisition Boosts 3D Printing for Eco-Friendly Containers
HP has acquired Choose Packaging, an Edinburgh, Scotland-based startup that makes paper containers that can be used instead of packaging for drinks, laundry detergent, make-up, or food. Key to the…
New Self-Healing Plastic for 3D Printing Epitomizes Plastic Conundrum
Plastic is a bit reminiscent of the opening lines to A Tale of Two Cities: it’s the best of materials; it’s the worst of materials. Used for just about everything, and…
Eco Friendly 3D Printing? Designing for Ruins
Sustainability is usually seen as a move towards using recyclable or recycled materials. Some see it as a means of ensuring that the product that you make will be recyclable….
3D Printing News Briefs, December 11, 2021: 3D Printers, Materials, & More
In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, we’re starting off with three new large 3D printers, before moving on to some new materials. Finally, we’ll end with serial 3D printing of…
Design for Disruption: Design for Reuse & Resilience
If we are looking to industrialize 3D printing across the board, we will need to deploy new ideas and new strategies. Faced with a new technology, we’re using old thinking…
Roboze to Begin 3D Printing Circular Economy Program Starting Next Year
Starting in January 2022, Roboze, the Italian-American manufacturer of 3D printers, polymers for additive manufacturing, and composite parts, is starting a circular economy program for its customers. The program will…
De-Hyper: Can 3D Printing Alone Solve the Climate Crisis? Probably Not.
Given the compounding human-caused, ecological crises facing life on earth at the moment, I’ve been interested in speaking to experts to understand what role, if any, 3D printing and technology…
The Slow 3D Printing Software Revolution with Materialise
While attending RAPID + TCT a few weeks ago, I sat down with Bryan Crutchfield, the Vice President and General Manager – North America at Materialise (NASDAQ: MTLS), to discuss…
Watch ‘The Throne’: 3D Printed Toilets Could Be a Huge Boon to Areas Lacking Sanitation
One of the biggest challenges to addressing an issue like the environmental impact of the toilet is that people don’t really like talking about going to the bathroom. Of course,…
In-Space Metal 3D Printing from Incus to Be Tested by ESA
Crewed moon missions may still be years away, but space agencies are getting ready for the day when humans will once again explore the lunar surface, driving discovery, innovation, and…
Metal 3D Printing Sustainability to Be Studied by Yale via $100K AMGTA Grant
“Industrial ecology” might sound like an oxymoron, but it’s also an extremely important framework for estimating the long-term sustainability of the business models fundamental to any economy’s critical infrastructure. Yale’s…
3D Printing Webinar and Event Roundup: September 12, 2021
Buckle your seatbelts, it’s going to be a busy week of webinars and events, both virtual and in-person! RAPID + TCT and FABTECH will both be held in-person this week…
3D Printing News Briefs, September 4, 2021: MINI Coopers, Metal 3D Printing & More
We’ve got a little business for you to start off today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, and then moving on to materials. Sandvik is set to acquire a leading CAD/CAM software…
NatureWorks to Invest $600M in New PLA Plant
The largest manufacturer of polylactic acid (PLA) plastic is finalizing its plant to open a new PLA manufacturing complex in Thailand. NatureWorks has received final authorization from its parent companies…
LLNL’s 3D Printed Electrodes Could Convert CO2 to Renewable Energy
Scientists and engineers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are now 3D printing flow-through electrodes (FTEs), which are critical components in electrochemical reactors. Electrochemical reactors can convert carbon dioxide into…
“Zero Emissions Vehicle” 3D Printed from Plastic Waste
An Austrian studio called EOOS has developed a vehicle that is not only meant to be environmentally friendly in terms of its energy source, but in its manufacturing materials as well….
Filamentive PRO Line Features Filaments for Industrial 3D Printing Applications
UK-based 3D printing filament startup Filamentive, which prides itself on safety and sustainability, has introduced a new portfolio of high-performance polymers, called Filamentive PRO; the filaments in this line are…
“Low Carbon” Titanium for Metal 3D Printing Explored by EOS
The 3D printing industry loves titanium. This is largely due to the fact that the aerospace segment drove the development of metal 3D printing and prefers this metal for its…
Castor Beans Making Sustainable 3D Printed Eyewear Possible
Since 197 countries ratified the Paris Agreement, the residential and commercial sectors claim to be working together to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. A significant portion of emissions derives from…
