How can CAE assess the environmental and social impacts of additive manufacturing designs?

Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a technology that can create complex and customized parts by adding layers of material. AM has many potential benefits, such as reducing material waste, saving energy, and enabling innovation. However, AM also poses some environmental and social challenges, such as emissions, resource consumption, health and safety risks, and ethical issues. How can you use computer-aided engineering (CAE) to assess and improve the impacts of your AM designs? Here are some tips and tools to help you.

1 What is CAE for AM?

CAE, or the use of software tools to simulate, analyze, and optimize engineering problems, has a specific branch focused on the design, fabrication, and performance of AM parts. CAE for AM can assist in validating a design before printing, optimizing the design for AM, predicting the behavior and properties of a part, and evaluating its environmental and social impacts. This helps to avoid costly errors and rework, enhance functionality, quality, and efficiency, as well as consider energy use, emissions, waste, and social value.

Add your perspective

Rahul Rajeev

Staff Mechanical Engineer at Lam Research
Report contribution
Additionally, the advent of new generative design creation CAE tools uniquely leverage the benefits of AM, that would otherwise not be possible using conventional manufacturing techniques.

Like
Mohammad Azadi

PhD in Mechanical Engineering
Report contribution
Using CAE for topology optimization of structures undoubtedly is the best job in AM to reduce weight and increase the performance of components. This issue will affect energy consumption and control the waste materials. However, I do not know what will be happened through the social impact and environmental emissions with a combination of CAE and AM.

Like
Dr. Jayavenkateshwaran K

Engineer | Innovator | Entrepreneur | Founder
Report contribution
AM being relatively new when compared to conventional manufacturing methods, Industries really want to make use of AM to reduce the burden related to their supply chain. But for this to happen, design team should make an informed decision on the change in performance and risk. This is where CAE tools are really helpful to access the change in manufacturing process with no or minimal change in design.

Like

2 How to use CAE for AM to assess environmental impacts?

The main goal of CAE for AM is to reduce the environmental footprint of a part. It can be achieved by selecting the most suitable material, process, and parameters for the part, taking into account factors such as recyclability, biodegradability, toxicity, and energy intensity. Applying design for additive manufacturing principles, like minimizing material use and maximizing functionality, can help reduce support structures. Performing life cycle assessment of the part is an effective way to quantify the environmental impacts from cradle to grave. Comparing the part with alternative solutions like conventional manufacturing methods or different AM technologies can identify the best option for a specific application and context.

Add your perspective

Dr. Jayavenkateshwaran K

Engineer | Innovator | Entrepreneur | Founder
Report contribution
Gas turbine & Automobile industries use CAE tools extensively to make the combustion super efficient in order to minimize the impact on environment. But otherwise, CAE's contribution to assess environmental and social impact of AM designs is indirect. Because CAE tools help designers to make the design suitable for AM which can potentially help the designer to reduce part count, increase performance, to chose environmental friendly materials, to eliminate process which adversely impact the environment etc. This support can potentially lead to a positive environmental and social impact.

Like

3 How to use CAE for AM to assess social impacts?

When using CAE for AM, it's important to create social value with your part. This can be achieved by considering the needs and preferences of stakeholders, evaluating health and safety risks, assessing ethical implications, and measuring the social return on investment (SROI). For example, you should consider how your part can meet or exceed expectations and requirements, how to mitigate hazards with proper design, protection, and training, and how to avoid or address any negative consequences. Additionally, SROI is a method to estimate the social value created by your part in relation to the resources invested in it.

Add your perspective

4 What are some CAE tools for AM?

There are many CAE tools available for AM, from general-purpose software to specialized applications. Autodesk Netfabb offers design, simulation, optimization, and fabrication tools for AM, allowing you to create complex geometries, optimize your part for AM, simulate the printing process and the mechanical behavior of your part, and generate G-code for your printer. ANSYS Additive Suite provides simulation and analysis tools for AM, enabling you to predict the thermal history, distortion, residual stress, and microstructure of your part, as well as optimize your design for AM and perform structural and fatigue analysis.

SIMULIA 3DEXPERIENCE is a software platform that integrates design, simulation, and collaboration tools for AM. It can help you generate lattice structures, optimize your part for AM, simulate the printing process and the performance of your part, and manage your AM projects and workflows. Additionally, SolidWorks Sustainability is a software tool that enables you to perform LCA of your part within SolidWorks to estimate the environmental impacts of your part in terms of carbon footprint, energy consumption, air pollution, and water pollution.

Add your perspective

Rahul Rajeev

Staff Mechanical Engineer at Lam Research
Report contribution
PTC Creo offers a suite of generative design generation and topology optimization modules that are uniquely tailored to AM technologies without the constraints of conventional manufacturing.

Like
Pranav Chauhan

Technical Manager at DesignTech Systems Pvt. Ltd.
Report contribution
Altair Inspire with combination of SIMSOLID are the best tool to explore for AM, you can generate the concept design not just by applying load but also you can generate concepts for motion analysis. can use polynurbs to finalize the design. Once you have finished with polynurbs design, you can analyse the 3D print simulation with different orientation and check the defects or after effects of 3D printing also. the 3D printing machine software will give the orientation w.r.t time and cost, but there you can actually study to minimizing after effects.

Like

5 How to learn more about CAE for AM?

If you want to learn more about CAE for AM, there are several options available. You can read books and articles such as "Computer-Aided Engineering for Additive Manufacturing: Methods and Applications" by Li Yang et al. or "A Review of Computer-Aided Engineering for Additive Manufacturing" by Yan Zhou et al. Additionally, there are online courses and webinars like "Design for Additive Manufacturing" by Coursera or "Simulation for Additive Manufacturing" by ANSYS. You can also join online communities and forums like "CAE Forum" by 3D Printing Industry or "CAE for Additive Manufacturing" by LinkedIn. Lastly, you can attend events and conferences like "CAASE: Conference on Advancing Analysis & Simulation in Engineering" by NAFEMS or "Additive Manufacturing Users Group Conference" by AMUG.

Add your perspective

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

How can CAE assess the environmental and social impacts of additive manufacturing designs?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 What is CAE for AM?

2 How to use CAE for AM to assess environmental impacts?

3 How to use CAE for AM to assess social impacts?

4 What are some CAE tools for AM?

5 How to learn more about CAE for AM?

6 Here’s what else to consider

CAE

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on CAE

More relevant reading