Blockchain in additive manufacturing processes: Recent trends & its future possibilities

ABSTR A C T The concept of Industry 4.0 was conceived to make manufacturing and industrial processes more modern and sustainable. It is achieved through the use of emerging technologies such as IoT, additive manufac-turing, and robotics. One such technology is Blockchain, which provides many benefits like security, decentralization, and transparency. Blockchain was first proposed in the year 2008 as the technology behind the now-famous cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Since then, blockchain technology has seen a lot of improvements and changes. Blockchain has also branched out from its digital currencies to other indus-tries such as healthcare, governance, supply chain, and entertainment. This article focuses on how and why blockchain technology can be used in conjunction with additive manufacturing and other new tech-nologies to keep up with the current manufacturing demands of consumers. This article zeros in on the existing problems in the manufacturing industry and how blockchain and additive manufacturing can be used to mitigate them and provides rough guidelines for future researchers or organizations looking to integrate Blockchain into their supply chain. Copyright (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 2nd International Con-ference on Functional Material, Manufacturing and Performances

Automated summary

This article discusses the importance of integrating blockchain technology with additive manufacturing and other new technologies to meet current manufacturing demands. It also provides preliminary guidance for future researchers or organizations looking to integrate blockchain into their supply chain.