Metal additive manufacturing technologies, such as Laser Powder-Bed Fusion, often rate as sustainable due to their high material efficiency. However, there are several drawbacks that reduce the overall sustainability and offer potential for improvement. One such drawback is waste emerging from the process. These smoulder particles form when the laser hits the powder-bed surface, are blown away from the part by the shielding gas stream and accumulate on the edge of the build chamber. Usually, smoulder does not contribute to the circular reuse of powder that was part of the powder-bed but was not integrated into a part. Instead, it marks an end-of-life state of powder. Significant amounts of smoulder accumulate depending on the irradiated area or the build volume in one job, respectively. This results in the waste of powder that was produced with low energy efficiency. This study investigates the question of whether smoulder can transform from waste to resource via common powder characterization methods and first build jobs using processed smoulder. The investigation of process-relevant powder properties like apparent density and flowability showed no significant difference between virgin powder and smoulder. Sample characterization indicated that neither porosity, surface quality nor mechanical properties deteriorate when samples contain about 50% smoulder. This allows for the reuse of smoulder in terms of powder characterization and part quality.

Additive manufacturing technologies such as laser powder‐bed fusion (L‐PBF) offer great freedom in design, ultralightweight optimization of components, and individualization of products down to a batch size of one. However, parts fabricated from L‐PBF suffer from poor quality. Unavoidable porosity, rough surfaces, anisotropic microstructure, and poor geometrical accuracy and their large scatter pose challenges to post‐processing, force larger tolerances, or inhibit technical applications. Acoustic assistance during a build job compacts the powder‐bed and has an influence on solidification. This is why the technology addresses all the aforementioned drawbacks. It is known that porosity, surface roughness in downskin regions, and microstructural anisotropy decrease without any post‐processing if a build job is sonicated. This study focuses on the fabrication of lattice structures by acoustically assisted L‐PBF. Even with a parameter set that is not adjusted to thin‐walled structures, porosity decreases in the as‐built state. Quasistatic compression tests as well as compressive load increase tests are performed. Results show superior mechanical properties of acoustically assisted samples if compared to standard samples.

Metal additive manufacturing among other advantage offers a high degree of freedom in the design of components and shortening of conventional manufacturing process chains. Hence, there are questions of technological feasibility, efficiency and sustainability. Current relevant studies, especially on the sustainability of selective laser melting, often examine only one aspect. At the same time, companies in various sectors are faced with the question of whether and if so, to what extent it is worth converting their production towards additive manufacturing units. In any case, the context is filled with complex issues in several decision-making dimensions.In this paper, a special concept for academic education is introduced. It mirrors the complexity of decision-making issues, relevant problems and solutions, in a fictitious enterprise project named „AM for Future!?”. The project is played as a serious game with an explicit educational purpose. It is an adaptable toolbox-like game structure on a solid methodical basis. Besides clear roles with a focus on different dimensions of sustainability, it also enables variation of products and process chains. Gameplays of different project settings, spanning over three consecutive semesters, confirm the game plan as a safe environment and suitable world of experience. For research, the output of the different game seasons can be used as a simplified parameter study. This applies to objectively quantifiable as well as different qualitative approaches. These approaches influence the answer to the question of whether and, if so, how a conventional process chain can be specifically replaced and/or supplemented with metal additive manufacturing.

Magnetic properties are known to be crucial in the application of electrical steel and they are therefore covered by manifold studies. Other ferromagnetic materials are out of scope in this respect, even if the importance of magnetism of conventional steel is evident. Additionally, there is a contradiction regarding the major influence on magnetic properties. Machining, transport, and storage are possible influencing variables. In the experimental investigations, specimens consisting of the bearing steel 100Cr6 are machined by turning and partly by subsequent diamond smoothing. While machining using several cutting speeds and smoothing forces, the thermoelectrical voltage, current, and the components of the resultant force are recorded. The results show how the near-surface plastic deformations evolve throughout the machining process. Additionally, it was found that the magnetic properties and other properties of the surface layer are influenced in different ways depending on turning and diamond smoothing parameters. Correlations between in situ and ex situ measured values are shown. This study aims to solve the aforementioned question by quantification of machining impacts of cutting speed in turning and force in diamond smoothing and its dependence on transport and storage.