The Journal of Industrial Ecology is pleased to announce a call for papers for a special issue "Environmental Dimensions of Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing." For the full call for papers, please go to http://bit.ly/JIE-AM_CfP.
Additive manufacturing (AM), best known to the public as 3-D printing, is a cluster of technologies that make solid objects using additive or joining processes using computer-aided 3-dimensional design. Additive manufacturing is quick and economical for the production of individual objects facilitating rapid prototyping in industry. Because it relies on computer-aided design and manufacture (CAD/CAM), it can readily produce bespoke objects including those with very complex shapes. AM has applications in architecture, construction, industrial design, automotive, aerospace, defense, dental and medical industries, biotech, fashion, jewelry, eyewear, education, geographic information systems, and food. According to a recent report by Wohlers Associates, the global market for AM machinery and services exceeds $3 billion. The technology is advancing rapidly with possibilities of disruptive innovation in many fields.
Because the core process is additive, in many cases, there is less waste-because no cuttings or grindings are produced as occurs in conventional machining processes. 3-D printers in homes and small businesses can be used to make objects one-at-a-time quickly and economically using software readily available via the Internet, avoiding the need to ship the final product to the user. Because 3D printing facilitates localized production and also increases opportunities for access to spare parts and repair, it holds out the possibility of considerable advances in sustainability.
Scattered public discussions of the environmental dimensions of additive manufacturing are occurring. Research on disparate dimensions of this intersection is taking place in manufacturing, industrial ecology, environmental science, and occupational health. The goal of the special issue is to catalyze research, analysis and exchange across disciplines and literatures on this topic. Papers analyzing the both the opportunities and impacts of additive manufacturing are welcome.
The Journal of Industrial Ecology is an international peer-reviewed bimonthly, owned by Yale University, headquartered at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and published by Wiley-Blackwell. It is the official journal of the International Society for Industrial Ecology.
Submission deadline: December 31th, 2015
Reid Lifset
Research Scientist, Resident Fellow in Industrial Ecology
Editor-in-chief, Journal of Industrial Ecology
School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
Yale University
195 Prospect St
New Haven, CT 06511
reid.lifset@yale.edu
+1-203-432-6949 (tel)