TY - JOUR

T1 - Assessment of the ecological impact of metal additive repair and refurbishment using powder bed fusion by laser beam based on a multiple case study

AU - Wurst, Johanna

AU - Ganter, Nicola Viktoria

AU - Ehlers, Tobias

AU - Schneider, Jannik Alexander

AU - Lachmayer, Roland

N1 - Funding Information: This research was conducted in the scope of the research project RePARE- Regeneration of product and production systems through additive repair and refurbishment (Funding reference number 033R229) which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research ( BMBF ) within the funding measure “Resourceefficient Circular Economy - Innovative Product Cycles” (ReziProK). This research has been funded as well by the Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony ( MWK ) – School for Additive Manufacturing SAM.

PY - 2023/10/15

Y1 - 2023/10/15

N2 - When a product has reached the end of its useful life, different strategies can be used to extend its lifespan. In additive manufacturing, two of these strategies are additive repair and refurbishment, which aim to recover or improve a product's properties and functionality. However, it is important to consider the potential negative ecological impacts of these end-of-life strategies and how they can be implemented in an environmentally sustainable way. To address this, a generic model based on life cycle impact assessments is developed to evaluate different demonstrators. Starting from technical process chains via the integration of process- and product-specific data, different demonstrators are evaluated and compared based on a model. This paper explores previous research on additive repair and remanufacturing processes and their ecological assessment. An assessment framework for MAR/R (metal additive repair/refurbishment) is presented, with a subsequent life cycle assessment (LCA) of four demonstrators. Proceeding from these results, recommendations for action are discussed for users as well as further scientific research. A result of this multi-case study is that environmental hotspots within the process chain are primarily material-dependent so the amount of metallic powder has a significant influence on the overall ecological impact. The paper concludes with recommendations for efficient use of additive repair and refurbishment.

AB - When a product has reached the end of its useful life, different strategies can be used to extend its lifespan. In additive manufacturing, two of these strategies are additive repair and refurbishment, which aim to recover or improve a product's properties and functionality. However, it is important to consider the potential negative ecological impacts of these end-of-life strategies and how they can be implemented in an environmentally sustainable way. To address this, a generic model based on life cycle impact assessments is developed to evaluate different demonstrators. Starting from technical process chains via the integration of process- and product-specific data, different demonstrators are evaluated and compared based on a model. This paper explores previous research on additive repair and remanufacturing processes and their ecological assessment. An assessment framework for MAR/R (metal additive repair/refurbishment) is presented, with a subsequent life cycle assessment (LCA) of four demonstrators. Proceeding from these results, recommendations for action are discussed for users as well as further scientific research. A result of this multi-case study is that environmental hotspots within the process chain are primarily material-dependent so the amount of metallic powder has a significant influence on the overall ecological impact. The paper concludes with recommendations for efficient use of additive repair and refurbishment.

KW - Additive refurbishment

KW - Additive remanufacturing

KW - Additive repair

KW - Life cycle assessment

KW - Powder bed fusion

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85170575224&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138630

DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138630

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85170575224

VL - 423

JO - Journal of cleaner production

JF - Journal of cleaner production

SN - 0959-6526

M1 - 138630

ER -