3D Printing as a Disruptive Technology for the Circular Economy of Plastic Components of End-of-Life Vehicles: A Systematic Review

The automotive industry is frequently associated with high polluting manufacturing systems, which raise concern owing to the current environmental frame. For this reason, new alternative manufacturing technologies with lower environmental impact have been proposed and tested, such as additive manufacturing (AM). Since AM technologies produce almost no waste, they can represent a huge opportunity for the automotive industry to become greener. In this sense, the object of the present review is to explore the challenges and strategies of 3D printing, recycling, and circular economy in the automotive industry. Therefore, to achieve the aim of the study, a systematic review methodology was used in five stages: (1) defining the targets; (2) extraction of papers from Scopus; (3) text mining and corpora text analysis of relevant documents from the platform; (4) identification of the dominant categories of the research topics; and (5) discussion and control of obtained results and provision of recommendations for future studies. The analysis of 14 relevant articles revealed that 3D printing technology represents an opportunity to empower small-scale producers of polymers, recycle ELV materials, and decentralize the supply chains of plastic articles. The possibility to include plastic parts produced by AM technology has been pointed out as an innovative option for car manufacturers. Unfortunately, till the present day, poor information was found in this regard. Findings highlighted the need for strategies to turn polymeric automotive components into more eco-friendly and safer materials, improve the supply chain of polymers, perform sustainability assessments, and reformulate waste policies for ELVs.

Automated summary

This study explores the challenges and strategies of 3D printing, recycling, and circular economy in the automotive industry. The findings suggest that 3D printing technology provides opportunities for small-scale polymer producers, recycling of ELV materials, and decentralization of plastic article supply chains. However, there is currently limited information available regarding the use of 3D printing for plastic parts in the automotive industry.