Additive Manufacturing, AM, is considered to be environmentally friendly when compared to conventional manufacturing processes. Most researchers focus on resource consumption when performing the corresponding Life Cycle Analysis, LCA, of AM. To that end, the sustainability of AM is compared to processes like milling. Nevertheless, factors such as resource use, pollution, and the effects of AM on human health and society should be also taken into account before determining its environmental impact. In addition, in powder-based AM, handling the powder becomes an issue to be addressed, considering both the operator´s health and the subsequent management of the powder used. In view of these requirements, the fundamentals of the different powder-based AM processes were studied and special attention paid to the health risks derived from the high concentrations of certain chemical compounds existing in the typically employed materials. A review of previous work related to the environmental impact of AM is presented, highlighting the gaps found and the areas where deeper research is required. Finally, the implications of the reuse of metallic powder and the procedures to be followed for the disposal of waste are studied.2 of 25 sold in 2016 was 983, whereas, in the year 2017 this value rose to 1768 units, which implies an 80% increase [1].As far as economy and sustainability are concerned, AM offers several advantages over conventional manufacturing techniques, which confers many potential applications to AM in diverse industrial sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, biomedical, energy, and consumer goods [4]. In the aerospace industry, for example, AM enables aerospace motorists to create blades with much more complex internal cooling channels, allowing engines to run at higher temperatures and thus increase their performance [5]. In the report presented by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, it is stated that in aerospace engines titanium parts are machined down to size from large initial blocks, which leads to more than 90% waste material, material waste that could be reduced by using AM [6]. The European Commission in the Digital Transformation Monitor of 2017 presented similar numbers, where the disruptive nature of 3D printing was studied. It was estimated that by 2050, AM could save up to 90% of the raw material needed for manufacturing [3].Nonetheless, the possibilities of AM are not only limited to a reduction of raw material usage. The possibility of manufacturing lighter components could lead to energy savings, estimated between 5% and 25% by 2050, as well as a reduction in manufacturing costs of around 4-21% for the same period [7]. This trend is applicable to different industrial sectors. For example, SmarTech expects the overall market for AM in automotive to reach 5.3 billion USD in revenues by 2023 and to achieve 12.4 billion USD by 2028 [8].The lack of European and international standardization related to AM is proving to be an impediment to the...

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Climate change has major effects on the planet, and its consequences on today’s society are undeniable. Climate change is the cause of the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events including floods. Flood management in Europe has experienced a significant change due to the emergence of the Flood Directive and its implementation in national regulations. The Flood Directive requires the inclusion of the effects of climate change. With multiple factors such as governmental and administrative diversity, and various management tools, each country uses a different methodology. This research conducts a bibliographic review to analyze the methodological approaches applied by four different countries—the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain—showing their differences and the causes of such differences and examining the common weaknesses and strengths in the countries’ approach. To this end, it analyzes how to include climate change in the implementation of the Flood Directive in the four countries studied throughout the two cycles. Developing a uniform approach to FD implementation has been hampered by (1) different starting points in the technology of flood prediction, (2) widely varying “traditional” approaches to flood and risk management, and (3) differing levels of the integration of local, regional, and national agencies. Development under the FD has, however, led to increased awareness of the common uncertainty associated with the different current methodologies and the need to deepen the knowledge of climate change as well as the need to develop the technology to reduce said uncertainty.

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Gizakiaren ekintzek eragindako aztarna ekologikoaren eragina murrizteko garrantziaren kontzientzia globala hedatuta dago egungo gizartean, baina oraindik aurrera-pausoak ematea beharrezkoa da. Egora horren aurrean, Nazio Batuen Erakundeak 2015ean aurkeztutako Garapen Iraunkorrerako Helburuen artean industria eta berrikuntzaren aldeko apustuaren beharrizana azpimarratu behar da. Ildo horretan, Fabrikazio Gehigarria materialaren erabilera murriztu eta kontsumo-energetiko jasangarriaren alde egiteko aukera ezin hobea da. Beraz, teknologia horrek eskaintzen dituen abantailen azterketa gauzatu da, baina beti ere ikuspuntu jasangarri batetik eta ohiko teknologiekin alderatuz.