Resource Efficiency and Material Savings in SLS 3D Printing
Industrial manufacturing faces the challenge of combining high precision in series production with a responsible and efficient use of resources.
Resource Efficiency and Material Savings in SLS 3D Printing
Design-Efficient Forms of Industrial Manufacturing
The industrial manufacture of components faces numerous challenges. In addition to high precision in series production, production costs and, increasingly, resource efficiency play a decisive role. To optimise material usage, conventional manufacturing structures must be critically reassessed and new production pathways explored, as the extraction of raw materials is typically associated with significant energy consumption.
It is therefore both economically and ecologically sensible to process these energy-intensive raw materials as efficiently as possible. In conventional machining processes such as drilling, turning, grinding, honing or sawing, material is removed from a workpiece. This generates chips in which primary energy is embodied. These materials frequently end up as waste or require energy-intensive recycling. Such methods are therefore referred to as subtractive processes.
Although machining chips can be recycled, this necessitates additional energy input, making maximum material efficiency more difficult to achieve. Casting processes represent an intermediate approach between subtractive and additive manufacturing; however, due to the complexity of mould design, they are generally only economical for large production volumes. At this point, SLS 3D printing offers clear advantages. As an additive manufacturing process, it fuses only those raw materials that are physically required for the component itself. Unused powder can largely be reprocessed and reused. A further process-engineering advantage is that no cutting fluids are required, eliminating wastewater contamination typically associated with wet chemical subtractive processes.
Design options
SLS 3D printing enables design freedoms that are difficult or impossible to realise using conventional manufacturing or traditional casting techniques. A key lever for improving resource efficiency in SLS lies in the design-optimised development of product geometries that combine structural integrity and user-friendliness with low component weight.
This design approach eliminates the need for solid, over-dimensioned structures, thereby reducing material consumption and the associated energy demand for material production. Such optimisation is achieved through consistent structural and topology optimisation. Products can thus be designed according to the principle of minimal material usage while maintaining maximum functionality. In specific test scenarios, this has resulted in weight reductions of up to 64% compared with conventional designs.
The basis for this advancement in industrial manufacturing is topology optimisation software, which enables the integration of computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools, such as tensile and compressive load simulations, with additive manufacturing processes.
A practical reference example is the redesign of an engine that was reduced from 855 individual parts to just 12 components while retaining full functionality. This approach is referred to as functional integration.
Definition of Terms
The term 3D printing generally refers to additive manufacturing using a wide range of materials, including both metals and polymers. In SLS 3D printing, it is also possible to use bio-based plastics instead of purely fossil-based materials, derived from renewable raw resources.
One such material is Polyamide 11 (PA11), a high-performance polyamide obtained from castor oil. Its chemical and physical properties are comparable to those of conventional polyamides. We actively promote the use of this material, as it replaces fossil-based carbon sources (crude oil) with plant-based alternatives.
Summary
Resource efficiency in 3D printing is a shared responsibility between manufacturers and users. If material efficiency and innovation requirements are not considered together, significant economic and technical potential remains untapped. At present, additive manufacturing and subtractive processes often exhibit comparable energy consumption levels in large-scale production.
However, while subtractive manufacturing has undergone decades of optimisation, additive manufacturing still offers substantial development potential. As a result, additive processes are expected to gain importance in the medium to long term. In particular, smaller, more customised production runs enable highly tailored solutions that can extend the service life of capital goods. Resource-efficient manufacturing, however, is already being implemented today.
Better Basics Laborbedarf manufactures using 100% electricity from renewable energy sources. In addition, we operate a heat-recovery system: the process-related waste heat generated by SLS printers is used to support the heating of our office spaces, significantly reducing the demand for external heating energy.
Further information
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