Desktop Metal
The Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association (AMGTA) has announced the preliminary results of a lifecycle analysis study around the binder jet 3D printing of an industrial component.
Yale School of the Environment (YSE) partnered with Desktop Metal and Trane Technologies in a study commissioned by the AMGTA to analyse the manufacture of a steel scroll chiller in an HVAC system from Trane. The aim of the study was to compare the manufacturing impact of binder jet 3D printing versus traditional metal casting in the production of a single unit of a steel scroll chiller, with the preliminary results showing a 38% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) through the binder jetting process thanks to ‘reduced energy demand during the production phase.’
This two-year study is said to have analysed the cradle-to-gate manufacturing lifecycle of a scroll set comprised of a fixed scroll and orbiting scroll manufactured by Trane as part of an HVAC system. The study evaluated a traditional casting process, followed by machining, plating, and finishing, and then evaluated the same scroll set design through an additive binder jetting process of 3D printing, curing, sintering and the same plating and finishing steps in the same facility in Mexico. This comparative analysis suggested the additive manufacturing process showed a 38% reduction in GHG emissions, but also stated that a redesign for lightweighting via a lattice-type structure ‘would not necessarily lead to additional reductions in GHG emissions, primarily because the majority of electricity consumed would not be impacted by lattice-type structures.’ It did say, however, that lightweighting ‘may provide environmental benefits in the use phase which is not included in this study,’ and also stated that a 10% mass reduction in the scroll set would lead to a 1% reduction in GHG emissions.
Other findings of the study are that the manufacturing facility’s energy mix at the location of generation, and whether the energy grid was produced using sustainable means, has a significant effect on GHG emissions, as do the overall dimensions of the parts produced and the print volumes. For this study, a single scroll set, comprised of a fixed scroll and orbiting scroll, was manufactured via casting and via binder jetting technology.
The study also suggested that, although the environmental impacts of source powder production were approximately twice that for casting steel, such an increase ‘represented a small portion of overall GHG emissions and did not play a significant role in the overall findings.’
“The release of these finding is significant for the AM industry and for companies in the broader manufacturing sector who are looking for more sustainable production methods,” commented Sherri Monroe, the AMGTA’s Executive Director. “With this study, we are able to quantify the reduced energy demand of binder jetting versus traditional casting while possibly providing some surprises in the negligible impact offered by lightweighting in this specific use case.”
“Prior to this project, uncertainty about the lifecycle emissions of binder jetting versus conventional manufacturing approaches was a barrier to AM adoption,” added Kevin Klug, Lead Additive Manufacturing Engineer for Trane Technologies. “With the results of this study, Trane Technologies is in a better position to comprehensively consider AM’s cost, productivity and environmental impact earlier in a product’s design cycle, when risk is lowest, and the potential benefits are highest.”
“Trane Technologies is committed to boldly challenging what’s possible for a sustainable world. That includes designing advanced climate control solutions that can be manufactured and operated with reduced environmental impact. Metal additive manufacturing will become an increasingly viable tool in that pursuit, and binder jetting’s comparably higher speed and lower cost among AM technologies make it particularly promising for manufacturing HVAC components at relevant production volumes.”
Full results of the study are expected to be published by the AMGTA in early 2024, with the organisation anticipating the publication of additional independent research throughout 2023. Earlier this year, the AMGTA published its first commissioned research paper, which found that an AM-designed bracket was 'more sustainable' than its traditionally manufactured counterpart.
