Energy Efficiency and Sustainability of Additive Manufacturing as a Mass-Personalized Production Mode in Industry 5.0/6.0
Izabela Rojek, Dariusz Mikołajewski, Jakub Kopowski, Tomasz Bednarek, Krzysztof Tyburek
Abstract
This review article examines the role of additive manufacturing (AM) in increasing energy efficiency and sustainability within the evolving framework of Industry 5.0 and 6.0. This review highlights the unique ability of additive manufacturing to deliver mass-customized products while minimizing material waste and reducing energy consumption. The integration of smart technologies such as AI and IoT is explored to optimize AM processes and support decentralized, on-demand manufacturing. Thisarticle discusses different AM techniques and materials from an environmental and life-cycle perspective, identifying key benefits and constraints. This review also examines the potential of AM to support circular economy practices through local repair, remanufacturing, and material recycling. The net energy efficiency of AM depends on the type of process, part complexity, and production scale, but the energy savings per component can be significant if implemented strategically.AM significantly improves energy efficiency in certain manufacturing contexts, often reducing energy consumption by 25–50% compared to traditional subtractive methods. The results emphasize the importance of innovation in both hardware and software to overcome current energy and sustainability challenges. This review highlights AM as a key tool in achieving a human-centric, intelligent, and ecological manufacturing paradigm.