Abstract
Additive Manufacturing has been identified as a disruptive emerging technology and has great potential for sustainability and the implementation of the circular economy. However, to date, new generations of designers have tended to utilize it as a mere tool for the three-dimensional representation of a solution conceived and designed for other supply chains. This not only creates experiential and perceptual problems in relation to AM but actually represents a misuse of material resources, which are utilized in an uninformed manner. With this in mind, the paper aims to chart possible directions and strategies to foster an informed use of AM within the Circular Design design and production process. After an introductory framing of the current issues and peculiarities of AM, we present the five strategies identified to enhance the potential of 3D printing within the framework of the ecological transition. These strategies are the starting point for defining a roadmap to better understand and consciously use AM in the design of circular and sustainable solutions.
Keywords
Additive Manufacturing; Study Model; 3D Printing; Circularity; Circular Design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/eksig2023.129
Citation
Bolzan, P.,and Xu, L.(2023) Exploring 3D Printing Strategies for Designers to Reach Circularity, in Silvia Ferraris, Valentina Rognoli, Nithikul Nimkulrat (eds.), EKSIG 2023: From Abstractness to Concreteness – experiential knowledge and the role of prototypes in design research, 19–20 June 2023, Milan, Italy. https://doi.org/10.21606/eksig2023.129
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Exploring 3D Printing Strategies for Designers to Reach Circularity
Additive Manufacturing has been identified as a disruptive emerging technology and has great potential for sustainability and the implementation of the circular economy. However, to date, new generations of designers have tended to utilize it as a mere tool for the three-dimensional representation of a solution conceived and designed for other supply chains. This not only creates experiential and perceptual problems in relation to AM but actually represents a misuse of material resources, which are utilized in an uninformed manner. With this in mind, the paper aims to chart possible directions and strategies to foster an informed use of AM within the Circular Design design and production process. After an introductory framing of the current issues and peculiarities of AM, we present the five strategies identified to enhance the potential of 3D printing within the framework of the ecological transition. These strategies are the starting point for defining a roadmap to better understand and consciously use AM in the design of circular and sustainable solutions.