ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

OF WIDESPREAD 3D

PRINTING

Shardul AgrawalaHead, Environment and Economy Integration DivisionOECD Environment Directorate

GreenTalks, 27 February 2017

• What is 3D Printing?

• Technologies, trends and prospects

• Environmental implications?

• Role of policy in enhancing environmental sustainability of 3D printing

Draws on a chapter (by J. Faludi, N.Cline-Thomas & S. Agrawala) in “The Next Production Revolution: Implications for Governments and Business”, OECD 2017

Outline

• Additive manufacturing is a set of technologies and processes that use a digital file to build a physical three-dimensional object.

• Object is made by adding (printing layers) of material until a model is complete based off of a CAD image

What is 3D printing?

http://3dprintingfromscratch.com/3dcategory/3dbasics/

Stereolithography –Liquid based 3DP

Common 3D printing technologies

Selective layer Sintering- Powder based 3DP

Fused deposition Modelling

–Plastic filament based

Common 3D printing technologies

Inkjet

Machining starts with a block of material and cuts away unwanted matter.

What technologies can it replace or complement?

Injection moulding heats thermoplastics (e.g. nylon and polystyrene) and pressures the materials into the desired shape. Injection moulding

TRENDS AND PROSPECTS

• 1980s: first start

• Early 2000s: widespread public awareness took hold due to the expiration of early patents

• 2005-2011: rapid growth – the number of 3D printers sold doubled.

Evolution of 3DP

A wide range of current applications

“Proof of concept” On the market

Intermediateproducts,parts

Endproducts

KamerMaker Canal House Jewellery

Customised hearing aid

Custom fabrics

Drone parts

RAPID PROTOTYPING

Jet engine nozzle

Strati electric car

Currently 3DP primarily produces prototypes, models and tooling

Only 15% are parts in sold goods

Expected industry evolution

Today

High-cost, low-volume industries

Moderate-cost, moderate-volume

industries

The next frontier

Low-cost, high-volume

industries

Decades away

Fall in 3D printing costsQuality improvement

2014-2020: projected market growth of 20%

Prototypes,Aerospace,

Medical suppliesPrecision machinery

OpticsToys

Designer housewares, furniture and clothing

Near-term evolution expansion

Costs

Will depend on:

Material choice

Quality

Size range

Increasing

Costs

Print time

Decreasing

Material choice

Challenges and trade-offs

Short term evolution

of 3D printing

technology

Print speed

Printquality

Printsize

Multi-material

parts

recyclability

Proprietary materials

vs DIY

toxicity

Printcost

Volume of production

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF 3D

PRINTING

Key issues when assessing

environmental implications of 3DP

• Manufacturing process vs Manufactured product

• Process:o Aggregate vs individual processeso Inputs, by-products

• Productso Weight o Complexity of designo End of life

• All relative to counterfactual

Some current “green” applications

The LEAP engine has 19 3D-printed fuel nozzles

- 25% lighter nozzles- 15% more fuel efficient

Toulouse May 2015

Niche ideas .. From energy efficient walls

to rhino horns

Pembient 3DP rhino horns

Lab3D wall

3DP will drastically reduce the costs and externalities related to:

Environmental implications of 3DP: Two fallacies

Waste generation and managementTransportation

• Environmental implications of 3D printed parts highly context specific, depending upon printer type, part geometry, machine utilisation rate.

• Also dependent upon the counterfactual (i.e. the technology it replaces)

– A “typical” 3D printed hollow-shell plastic or metal part has lower impact than machining [but there are many exceptions], but higher impact than injection moulding

A more nuanced picture

• Environmental impacts of machining are dominated by material use, whereas in 3D printing energy use dominates.

• Aggregate changes in environmental impacts of switching from machining or injection moulding to 3D are likely to be limited, at least in the near term.

• Transport costs could be reduced forbusinesses selling different productsmade from one material.

• For most consumer productsenvironmental impacts from transportare a small percentage of total lifecycle environmental impacts

• Further, feedstock materials for 3Dprinters will still need to betransported.

Environmental Implications: Transport

• Today 3D printers can use a range of materials: plastics, metals, ceramics, paper, food, starch, salt, living human cells…

– Often not environmental improvements (e.g. powdered vs. solid metals)

• Future expansions:

– New, green materials biodegradable

– Multimaterial parts harder to recycle

– Tuneable materials, capable of changing physical properties according to printing parameters

Environmental implications:

Material use

• Waste in 3D printing is entirely determined by printer type and material input.

• Most products require support material in addition to the desired product to prevent warping.

– Example: a polyjet printer wastes 43% of all its liquid polymer in both model and support material

• Overproduction & waste? Opposite trends:

– No need to mass-produce and stock

– Optimise geometry with light-weight parts

– Ease of printing new models for testing

– Induced demand for “fun” desktop printing

Environmental implications:

Waste generation

reduceoverproduction

increaseoverproduction

• 3DP does not automatically encourage recycling of materials

• Compostable feedstock?

– Bioplastic, wood fibre, starch…

– But composting PLA bioplastic requires investment in high-temperature municipal-scale facilities

Environmental implications:

Waste management

- Life cycle environmental impacts of 3D printing are dominated by energy use during printing

- Currently no incentive for printer manufacturers to design energy efficient printers.

- On the other hand, 3D printing can also reduce energy consumption – by encouraging leaner production, design of lower mass parts, reducing energy losses (e.g. air leaks in buildings)

Environmental implications: Energy Use

Environmental implications:

Toxic exposure

DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b04983. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2016, Vol. 50, pp. 1260−1268

Environmental implications:

Toxic exposure

“These 3D printers are like tiny factories in a box. We regulate factories. We would never bring one into our home. Yet, we are starting to bring these 3D printers into our homes like they are toasters”

Prof. William GroverSchool of Engineering, University of California, Riverside

• Printing replacement parts of white goods could reducepremature disposal

• Issues with regard to access to designs,

IP infringement

Washing machine knob

Environmental implications:

Extending the use life of products

http://www.plateconference.org/print-repair-opportunities-constraints-3d-printing-replacement-parts/

New business modelsExample: 3D Hubs

• Local 3D printing in under two days

• Distributed and on-demand manufacturing

https://www.3dhubs.com/3dprint#?place=Paris,%20France&latitude=48.8534&longitude=2.3488&shipsToCountry=FR&shipsToState=IDF

• Personalisation of products + closer link producer-consumer

– Possibly extend the lifecycle of products

• Ease and low-cost printing?

– Print more than necessary, test out different models, throw out most.

“3DP could herald the apotheosis of consumerism, instant gratification, the throwaway society.

Or it could be at the heart of a whole new model of sustainable consumption.

Which of these comes to pass will be determined in large part by how we apply the technology.”

James Goodman, Forum for the Future, 2013

Environmental implications:

Behavioural change

Role for policy

• Policies should encourage low energy printing processes and low impact

materials with useful end of life. Policy can help through targeting

research and investment in these directions.

• Policies can also include voluntary certification schemes for 3D printers,

potentially combined with preferential purchasing programmes

• Policies to enable 3D printing of repair parts for legacy products without

existing repair supply chains, by clearing IP barriers.

• Policies frameworks may be needed to assess and address potential

environmental health and safety implications of 3D printing

THANK YOU

shardul.agrawala@oecd.org

www.oecd/org/environment

@OECD_ENV

The presentation draws on a chapter (by J. Faludi, N.Cline-Thomas & S. Agrawala) in the forthcoming OECD publication “The Next Production Revolution: Implications for Governments and Business”.

Sources for images and quotes are listed below:

• Slide 3:

– http://3dprintingfromscratch.com/3dcategory/3dbasics/

– http://www.deskeng.com/de/preparing-3d-models/

• Slide 4:

– http://theawesomer.com/formlabs-desktop-3d-printer/191892/

– https://www.sculpteo.com/blog/2014/05/13/right-plastic-production-method/

• Slide 5:

– http://www.3ders.org/articles/20140901-bigrep-to-showcase-giant-one-3d-printer-3d-printshow-london.html

– http://www.custompartnet.com/wu/ink-jet-printing

• Slide 6:

– http://wb-3d.com/physical-prototyping/machining/

– http://specialtypharma.com/Main/Back-Issues/Injection-Molding-in-the-Pharmaceutical-Industry-154.aspx

• Slide 9:

– https://www.designnews.com/materials-assembly/3d-printing-now-good-enough-final-spare-car-parts/81594181945351

– http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/3d-printings/

– https://3dprint.com/55151/organovo-kidney-tissue/

– https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/09/3d-printed-electric-car

– http://inhabitat.com/worlds-first-3d-printed-house-under-construction-in-amsterdam/

– http://www.3dprinterscanada.com/fullcure-hearing-aid-materials.php

– https://i.materialise.com/blog/3d-printing-in-titanium-still-going-strong/

– http://news.thomasnet.com/imt/2014/11/25/hybrid-manufacturing-gives-am-a-needed-output-boost

– http://www.justdrones.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/white-drone-slider.png

Sources

• Slide 16: http://www.gereports.com/post/119370423770/jet-engines-with-3d-printed-parts-power-next-gen/

• Slide 17:

– http://uk.businessinsider.com/biotech-startup-trying-to-stop-rhino-poaching-2016-9?r=US&IR=T

– http://www.3ders.org/articles/20150702-lab3d-unveils-3d-parallel-printing-lightweight-energy-efficient-facade-construction.html

• Slide 18:

– https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/41992/bin_garbage_recycle_trash_icon

– http://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/delivery-truck_45880

• Slide 21: http://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/delivery-truck_45880

• Slide 22: http://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/barrow-with-construction-materials_46316

• Slide 23: http://www.freeiconspng.com/free-images/recycle-icon-png-4214

• Slide 24: https://www.filabot.com/collections/filabot-core

• Slide 26: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.5b04983

• Slide 27:

– https://3dprint.com/103953/uc-riverside-study-toxicity/

– http://wfarm4.dataknet.com/static/resources/icons/set73/1c46a7dd.png

• Slide 28:

– http://www.plateconference.org/print-repair-opportunities-constraints-3d-printing-replacement-parts/

– https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/dd/2b/f0/dd2bf04628e60e3e23bfe22e6a0f7769.jpg

• Slide 29: https://www.3dhubs.com/3dprint#?place=Paris,%20France&latitude=48.8534&longitude=2.3488&shipsToCountry=FR&shipsToState=IDF

• Slide 30: https://www.forumforthefuture.org/blog/%E2%80%98momo%E2%80%99-can-3d-printing-be-sustainable

Sources