Abstract

New sustainable production models are gaining attention to reduce the human impact on Earth in the next few years. Design practices, materials, and digital fabrication tools, i.e., additive manufacturing, play a crucial role in this local and global change. A comprehensive range of circular materials and design strategies can be implemented to foster the development of new products and applications following circular economy principles. Nevertheless, their current exploitation in practical contexts is still challenging. Designers, engineers, and practitioners are not always aware of the possibilities allowed by these materials and how to use them in real projects. At the same time, their potential applications and experiential aspects are scarcely considered in the conventional materials development process. In contrast, new production and consumption patterns based on additive manufacturing arise from local communities and distributed networks. This Ph.D. research explores the interconnections between design, materials, additive manufacturing, and circular economy. The goal is to stimulate the use of new circular materials and strategies in real contexts by investigating possible materials and applications. At a later stage, it aims to foster knowledge building and transfer processes on these topics by developing accessible and participative experiential tools for designers, professionals, and students. The study adopts a transdisciplinary approach merging the materials engineering and design disciplines, mainly product design and engineering design. The research comprehends case study analysis, materials characterizations, design experimentations (Research through Design), product development, and reflective practice. It mainly focuses on two case studies, dealing with specific secondary raw materials and investigating new circular materials, additive manufacturing technologies, plausible design strategies, and applications in collaboration with professionals, industries, and labs. The first case study, FiberEUse, is linked to recycled glass and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, mainly thermosetting, for small-format 3D printers. The second case study, RepMat, deals with recycled thermoplastics and biomass scraps or by-products in large-format 3D printers. The experimental activities resulted in a set of new circular materials, modified 3D printing systems, and potential applications, e.g., in furniture, automotive, and sports sectors. A novel, accessible, and replicative experiential tool based on the concept of materials libraries, the “Materials Library System”, was developed to share and build new knowledge on circular materials for additive manufacturing, fostering collaborative distributed networks. This open source tool, made of a physical and virtual part, can showcase new materials (divulgative use) or guide the investigation of emerging materials and technologies in different contexts, i.e., labs, makerspaces, and studios (experimental use). The experimentations outlined the contribution of specific design professionals, i.e., materials designers and engineering designers, to exploit circular materials for additive manufacturing in real contexts. Finally, the research redefines the role of materials libraries in the current scenario, contributing to the democratization process of materials and technological knowledge for and through design. 1

Keywords

circular economy // additive manufacturing // materials library // materials for design // materials design // engineering design // open design

Resources and links

• 📑 Full text (PoliTesi) 2
• 📒 Yearbook abstract (PhD School) 3
• 🛠️ OSF Repository (3D models and dataset) 4
• 🌐 FiberEUse Library (Website) 5
• 🛠️ Zenodo (FiberEUse Library - physical) 6
• 🛠️ Zenodo (FiberEUse Library - virtual) 7
• 🌐 RepMat Library (Website) 8
• 🛠️ OSF Repository (RepMat Library) 9