Evaluation of the Ecological Footprint for Parts from AlSi10Mg manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

The manufacturing industry contributes immensely to the global emissions and therefore is a key factor that has to be addressed when a more sustainable production is desired. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is an AM technique that offers the possibility to manufacture metal parts in a more material efficient way due to the layer-by-layer build-up. Nevertheless, the processing chain for parts from LPBF contains additional steps like powder atomization, which also influence the ecological footprint of the production chain. Within this work, a life-cycle model for the production step of parts from AlSi10Mg powder material is developed. The model is supplied with data from the powder atomization up to the production step, either by literature, database or experimental measurements during production. The footprint in terms of CO2 emissions is then analyzed and emission-intense steps are identified. Two manufacturing scenarios are considered to evaluate the sensitivity on the emissions.