Energy and Eco-Impact Evaluation of Fused Deposition Modeling and Injection Molding of Polylactic Acid

Emmanuel Ugo Enemuoh, Venkata Gireesh Menta, Abdulaziz Abutunis, Sean O’Brien, Labiba Imtiaz Kaya and John Rapinac
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Emmanuel Ugo Enemuoh: Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Minnesota Duluth, MN 55812, USA
Venkata Gireesh Menta: Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Minnesota Duluth, MN 55812, USA
Abdulaziz Abutunis: Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Minnesota Duluth, MN 55812, USA
Sean O’Brien: Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Minnesota Duluth, MN 55812, USA
Labiba Imtiaz Kaya: Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Minnesota Duluth, MN 55812, USA
John Rapinac: Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Minnesota Duluth, MN 55812, USA

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: There is limited knowledge about energy and carbon emission performance comparison between additive fused deposition modeling (FDM) and consolidation plastic injection molding (PIM) forming techniques, despite their recent high industrial applications such as tools and fixtures. In this study, developed empirical models focus on the production phase of the polylactic acid (PLA) thermoplastic polyester life cycle while using FDM and PIM processes to produce American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D638 Type IV dog bone samples to compare their energy consumption and eco-impact. It was established that energy consumption by the FDM layer creation phase dominated the filament extrusion and PLA pellet production phases, with, overwhelmingly, 99% of the total energy consumption in the three production phases combined. During FDM PLA production, about 95.5% of energy consumption was seen during actual FDM part building. This means that the FDM process parameters such as infill percentage, layer thickness, and printing speed can be optimized to significantly improve the energy consumption of the FDM process. Furthermore, plastic injection molding consumed about 38.2% less energy and produced less carbon emissions per one kilogram of PLA formed parts compared to the FDM process. The developed functional unit measurement models can be employed in setting sustainable manufacturing goals for PLA production.

Keywords: fused deposition modeling; plastic injection molding; energy; carbon emission; polylactic acid thermoplastic; life cycle analysis; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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