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Additive manufacturing (AM) has the potential to create geometrically complex parts that require a high degree of customization, using less material and producing less waste. Recent studies have shown that AM can be an economically viable option for use by the industry, yet there are some inherent challenges associated with AM for wider acceptance. The lack of standards in AM impedes its use for parts production since industries primarily depend on established standards in processes and material selection to ensure the consistency and quality. Inability to compare AM performance against traditional manufacturing methods can be a barrier for implementing AM processes. AM process sustainability has become a driver due to growing environmental concerns for manufacturing. This has reinforced the importance to understand and characterize AM processes for sustainability. Process characterization for sustainability will help close the gaps for comparing AM performance to traditional manufacturing methods. Based on a literature review, this paper first examines the potential environmental impacts of AM. A methodology for sustainability characterization of AM is then proposed to serve as a resource for the community to benchmark AM processes for sustainability. Next, research perspectives are discussed along with relevant standardization efforts.

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Manufacturing industries lack the measurement science and the needed information base to measure and effectively compare environmental performances of manufacturing processes, across resources and associated services with respect to sustainability. The current use of ad hoc methods and tools to assess and describe sustainability of manufactured products does not necessarily account for manufacturing processes explicitly, and hence results in inaccurate and ambiguous comparisons. Such comparisons do not proactively contribute to sustainability improvement. Further, we identified that there are no formal methods for acquiring and exchanging information that help establish a consolidated sustainability information base. Our ultimate goal is to develop the needed measurement science and methodology to evaluate sustainability of fundamental manufacturing processes to ensure reliable and consistent comparisons. As a precursor, based on a literature study, this paper identifies the required elements to evaluate sustainability performance for manufacturing with a focus on the environmental impact. Societal and economic impacts, although equally important, are beyond the scope of discussion in this paper. In this paper, we first discuss identified manufacturing process classifications, sustainable manufacturing indicators and computable metrics, relevant information models and software tools, a conceptual model for sustainability characterisation, and finally, conclude with an overview of the future research directions.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is gaining popularity in industrial applications including new product development, functional parts, and tooling. However, due to the differences in AM technologies, processes, and process implementations, functional and geometrical characteristics of manufactured parts can vary dramatically. Planning, especially selecting the appropriate AM process and material requirements can be rather involved. Manufacturability using AM processes has been well studied; however, gaps exist in the design process when catering to the needs of manufacturability. Designers today are challenged with a lack of understanding of AM capabilities, process-related constraints, and their effects on the final product. Challenges are compounded by the ambiguity of where design for AM ends and process planning begins. These ambiguities can be addressed through design principles and corresponding design rules for additively manufacturing parts. The purpose of this paper is to categorically present relevant and reported efforts in design and process planning with design rules in AM. The overarching goal of the review is to offer insights to extract and categorize fundamental principles for derivative rules for different AM processes. Identifying such fundamental requirements could potentially lead to breakthroughs in design and process planning.

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Mechanical assemblies are systems composed of modules that are either subassemblies or parts. Traditionally an assembly information model contains information regarding parts, their relationships, and its form. But it is important that the model also represent the function and behavior. This report describes the development of an Ontological Assembly Model in the broader context of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM).