Sustainability and additive manufacturing ‑ a future area of strength

The project's goal is to bring together expertise in sustainable development and additive manufacturing so that Mid Sweden University can add important knowledge to the area and position itself as an important player when AM technology is developed towards increased sustainability.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has evolved from focusing on prototype manufacturing in the 80's to today spanning several areas and the technology can in several respects be considered a competitor, or complement, to traditional methods such as casting, injection molding, and milling. Until today, most of the research and development has focused on technology and materials, but there is a great need from the industry to understand more about the advantages and disadvantages of AM technology in terms of sustainability. In the media, the technology is often highlighted as "green" and efficient, but research shows that there are large knowledge gaps in the area.

This project intends to initiate a new research collaboration within Mid Sweden University, where the Department of Ecotechnics and Sustainable Construction (EHB) and the Sports Tech Research Center (STRC) in particular collaborate, where they both contribute expertise in sustainable development and AM, respectively.