Sustainable Process Planning for Subtractive and Additive Manufacturing Unit Processes

Sustainability in manufacturing implies regarding economic, environmental and social aspects and is of increasing concern to companies and consumers. Traditionally, process planning decisions were mainly based on costs and quality. This paper shows a method to compare different process chains in terms of sustainability indicators. It proposes to include non-value adding steps such as quality control or transport. The method is explained with a case study, where students design, plan, manufacture, and test models for water table experiments. Common additive and subtractive manufacturing processes are applied.