When looking for a more sustainable way to manufacture your products, you may have stumbled upon the magical world of 3D printing. But is 3D printing really that environmentally friendly? In this article we will inform you on the environmental impact of 3D printing.
This is because 3D printers use a technique called additive manufacturing instead of the traditional extracting manufacturing. So, what is additive manufacturing? In simple terms this means that the 3D printer creates a product by adding material, thus wasting a little to no more than needed.
Whereas in the traditional way a product is extracted from a block of material (like wood, metal, or stone) by carving and cutting. This method leaves a lot more waste that is being thrown in the refuse container.
So, to summarize this and answer the question “how environmentally friendly is 3D printing?”. This way of additive manufacturing can be very sustainable but it all comes down to the users choice. If you want to answer this question for your company, ask yourself the following:
1. Are you using biodegradable / eco-friendly filaments?
2. Can you improve your prints to use less material to be more efficient?
3. Are you using the right printer for your products?
We hope that this article has provided you with the information you were looking for. If you have any further questions about the sustainability of 3D printing feel free to contact us. Also, if you are looking for a more sustainable way to manufacture your products, we would love to explore the possibilities of 3D printing with you.
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