America Makes, and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining have announced the winners of a $2.1 million funding round, for six topic areas. The project call includes ASTM International, a global standards organization, who will lead a $600K project on Analysis of AM Sustainability and Environmental Benefits.
“We are pleased to lead this important project with America Makes,” said Mohsen Seifi, ASTM’s Vice President of Global Advanced Manufacturing. “Our focus will be on developing methodologies that eventually promote the sustainable use of materials in additive manufacturing, ensuring both environmental benefits and high-quality outcomes for end users.”
The consortium includes Boeing, ADDMAN, Amaero Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, and the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association (AMGTA).
“Advancing sustainable practices in additive manufacturing is crucial for the future of aerospace and other industries,” said Melissa Orme, Vice President of Additive Manufacturing at Boeing. “This project represents a major step toward achieving those goals by addressing full lifecycle assessment and sustainable design considerations”
Reuse and recycling of Additive Manufacturing materials
The project will focus on developing methodologies for reutilizing and recycling AM materials while ensuring sustainable design strategies that meet end users’ quality and performance standards. It will explore strategies for material recovery, lifecycle assessments, and frameworks to help manufacturers adopt eco-friendly practices without compromising part performance or reliability.
The research will build on ASTM’s expertise in AM standards, qualification, certification, and sustainability, ensuring that the findings contribute to industry-wide best practices and regulatory guidelines. Through this project, ASTM and its partners will help drive solutions that align with circular economy principles and enhance the long-term viability of AM in industrial applications.
Sustainability and Additive Manufacturing
Sustainability is a noble goal, and structured research into the quantifiable benefits of AM in this domain is welcome. As the industry matures, initial proclamations that AM is an inherently “green” technology have been, for the most part, replaced by more reasoned voices for caution against such blanket statements. For example, Dr. Phil Reeves has presented detailed research on the sustainable nature of 3D printing, highlighting energy consumption at different process stages.
Furthermore, enterprises in the industry are also taking steps to meet sustainability goals. For example, Stratasys released its third “Mindful Manufacturing” ESG and Sustainability Report to showcase its progress in sustainable additive manufacturing. The company has significantly reduced its environmental footprint, consuming 778,365 kWh of renewable energy and cutting greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 15.5%, alongside an 11.7% reduction in water intensity. It expanded its Certified Pre-Owned printer program and secured ISO 14001 certification in Israel and the EMEA region. Social initiatives included an Equal Parent Policy, boosting parental leave participation, and extensive employee training, with engagement reaching 73%. Additionally, Stratasys launched a Strategic Industrial Customer Advisory Board to enhance collaboration with key clients.
3D Printing Industry is hosting a live webinar to preview the 2025 AMUG Conference. Join us and our guests on Wednesday, 12th February.
Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter for the latest news in additive manufacturing. You can also stay connected by following us on LinkedIn.
