Advancing Sustainable Additive Manufacturing: Innovations in Technology and Environmental Impact Metrics
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 1627
Special Issue Editors
Interests: sustainable technologies; manufacturing processes; 3D printing; life cycle assessment; metal forming; biocomposites
Interests: lean manufacturing; remanufacturing; Industry 4.0; supply chain management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: composite materials; automated manufacturing; additive manufacturing; sustainability; life cycle analyses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The integration of advanced technologies with sustainable practices is becoming increasingly critical in modern manufacturing, particularly in the context of additive manufacturing (AM). In this rapidly evolving field, the primary goal is to design parts that are not only efficient in performance but also environmentally responsible, taking into account both the materials used and the energy consumption during production.
The growing adoption of AM technologies across various industries, such as automotive, aerospace, and healthcare, has highlighted the potential for producing complex geometries, lightweight structures, and customized components that are optimized for specific applications. However, despite the clear advantages, challenges remain, and the integration of sustainability metrics into the design and production of additive-manufactured parts is therefore a critical area of research and development.
The application of advanced technologies, such as high-resolution 3D printing, laser sintering, and hybrid additive-subtractive processes, is driving new possibilities in material selection, part design, and process efficiency. However, the environmental implications of these technologies are not yet fully understood. Therefore, much attention is being directed toward the development of comprehensive environmental impact metrics that can evaluate the sustainability of AM processes.
Some of the key issues currently being explored in the field include the following:
- Development and optimization of AM processes;
- Sustainability metrics and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of AM;
- Environmental impact of AM materials, including metals, polymers, composites, and ceramics;
- Energy efficiency and resource use in AM;
- Post-Processing and recycling of AM resources.
This Special Issue aims to bring together the latest research on these emerging topics in sustainable additive manufacturing. By exploring either technological innovation and the development of environmental impact metrics, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art in this field, highlighting the key challenges and opportunities for advancing AM toward a more sustainable future.
Dr. Ersilia Cozzolino
Prof. Dr. Mosè Gallo
Dr. Iacopo Bianchi
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- additive manufacturing
- life cycle assessment
- sustainability
- environmental metrics
- energy efficiency
- recycling
- AM materials
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