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Identification of effective control technologies for additive manufacturing.
Johan du Plessis1, Sonette du Preez1, Aleksandr B Stefaniak2
1Occupational Hygiene and Health Research Initiative, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Summary
Engineering controls like local exhaust ventilation effectively reduce hazardous emissions from 3-D printing processes. Further research is needed to address knowledge gaps in controlling particles and gases across all additive manufacturing (AM) types.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health and Safety
- Environmental Science
- Materials Science
Background:
- Additive manufacturing (AM) processes, including 3-D printing, can release hazardous particles and gases.
- Limited understanding of control efficacy hinders risk mitigation strategies for AM emissions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the efficacy of various controls for reducing hazardous emissions from additive manufacturing processes.
- To identify knowledge gaps in controlling AM-related environmental and health risks.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of 42 articles from multiple scientific databases (Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, etc.).
- Focused on engineering controls, specifically local exhaust ventilation and isolation, for material extrusion (FFF) and material jetting 3-D printers.
- Evaluated control efficacy for particle and gas emissions.
Main Results:
- Local exhaust ventilation demonstrated higher efficacy in reducing particle and gas levels compared to isolation for FFF and material jetting printers.
- Engineering controls were more effective for ultrafine particles than fine particles and in controlled test chambers versus real-world settings.
Conclusions:
- Engineering controls, particularly local exhaust ventilation, are effective for certain AM processes and emission types.
- Significant knowledge gaps remain regarding control efficacy across all AM types, particle sizes, gas emissions, standardized data collection, dermal exposure, and the broader hierarchy of controls.
