Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of SLS and mFFF Additive Manufacturing Techniques for the Production of a Metal Specimen.

This work is part of a research project aimed at developing a bio-based binder, composed mainly of polylactic acid (PLA), to produce Ti6Al4V feedstock suitable for use in MAM (Metal Additive Manufacturing) via mFFF (metal Fused Filament Fabrication), in order to manufacture a titanium alloy specimen. While in Bragaglia et al. the mechanical characteristics of this sample were analyzed, the aim used of this study is to compare the mentioned mFFF process with one of the most used MAM processes in aerospace applications, known as Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. Despite the excellent properties of the products manufactured via SLS, this 3D printing technology involves high upfront capital costs while mFFF is a cheaper process. Moreover, the mFFF process has the advantage of potentially being exported for production in microgravity or weightless environments for in-space use. Nevertheless, most scientific literature shows comparisons of the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) printing stage with other AM technologies, and there are no comparative LCA "Candle to Gate" studies with mFFF processes to manufacture the same metal sample. Therefore, both MAM processes are analyzed with the LCA "Candle to Gate" method, from the extraction of raw materials to the production of the finished titanium alloy sample. The main results demonstrate a higher impact (+50%) process for mFFF and higher electrical energy consumption (7.31 kWh) compared to SLS (0.32 kWh). After power consumption, the use of titanium becomes the main contributor of Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Abiotic Depletion Potential (ADP) for both processes. Finally, an alternative scenario is evaluated in which the electrical energy is exclusively generated through photovoltaics. In this case, the results show how the mFFF process develops a more sustainable outcome than SLS.

A literature review on quantitative models for supply chain risk management: Can they be applied to pandemic disruptions?

Supply chain risk management is considered a topic of increasing interest worldwide and its focus has evolved over time. The recent coronavirus pandemic (known as COVID-19) has forced business to handle a new global crisis and rapidly adapt to unexpected challenges. In an attempt to help companies counteract the pandemic risk, as well as to fuel the scientific discussion about this topic, this paper proposes a systematic literature review on risk management and disruptions in the supply chain focusing on quantitative models and paying a particular attention to highlighting the potentials of the studies reviewed for being applied to counteract pandemic emergencies. An appropriate query was made on Scopus and returned, after a manual screening, a useful set of 99 papers that proposed models for supply chain risk management. The relevant aspects of pandemics risk management have been first identified and mapped; then, the studies reviewed have been analysed with the aim of evaluating their suitability of being applied to sanitary crises. In carrying out this review of the literature, the study moves from previous, more general, reviews about risk management and updates them, starting from the lines of research that have been covered in recent years and evaluating their consistency with future research directions emerging also as a consequence of the pandemic crisis. Gaps and limitations of the existing models are identified and future research directions for pandemics risk management are suggested.

An innovative container for WEEE collection and transport: details and effects following the adoption.

The content of hazardous components in Waste arising from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is a major concern that urges governments and industry to take measures to ensure proper treatment and disposal. Thus, the European Union issued directives to encourage reuse, recycling and other proper forms of recovery of such waste while companies and academics are still studying methods and technologies for optimizing recovery processes. This paper presents an analysis of the logistics process assuring the correct collection, handling, transportation and storing of WEEE. The experience comes from an Italian WEEE treatment plant (TRED Carpi S.r.l.) where a new kind of container has been introduced in order to improve the logistics system. An evaluation framework is described and used in order to compare different system configurations and assess the advantages emerging from adopting proper equipments for WEEE transport and handling.