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.
Nuovi modelli di produzione e consumo sostenibili sono al centro di una crescente attenzione, mirando a contrastare l’impatto dell’uomo sul pianeta. Il design, i materiali e le tecnologie di fabbricazione digitale, fra cui la stampa 3D, giocano un ruolo fondamentale a livello locale e globale. Questo cambiamento può essere supportato da materiali e strategie circolari, favorendo lo sviluppo di prodotti e applicazioni in linea con i principi di sviluppo sostenibile e dell’economia circolare. Tuttavia, il loro impiego reale rappresenta ancora una sfida. Designer, ingegneri, e professionisti non sono sempre consapevoli delle possibilità date da questi materiali e di come utilizzarle nel concreto. Allo stesso tempo, le loro applicazioni e gli aspetti esperienziali sono scarsamente considerati durante lo sviluppo di nuovi materiali circolari, mentre nuovi modelli di produzione e consumo basati su processi di manifattura additiva stanno emergendo da comunità locali e reti di collaborazione diffusa. Questa ricerca di dottorato esplora le connessioni tra il design, i materiali, le tecnologie di manifattura additiva e l’economia circolare. L’obiettivo è quello di stimolare l’utilizzo di materiali e strategie circolari in contesti reali attraverso lo studio di nuovi materiali circolari e applicazioni. La ricerca, inoltre, mira a promuovere processi di creazione e condivisione di conoscenza legata a questi temi sviluppando strumenti accessibili e partecipativi per designers, professionisti e studenti. Lo studio segue un approccio transdisciplinare che coinvolge le discipline dell’ingegneria dei materiali e del design, specialmente nella sua accezione legata al prodotto e all’ingegnerizzazione di prodotto, e include: analisi di casi studio, caratterizzazioni di materiali, sperimentazioni pratiche e di sviluppo prodotto (ricerca attraverso il design) e attività di pratica riflessiva. La ricerca si focalizza su due casi studio legati a specifiche materie prime secondarie e indaga materiali circolari, tecnologie di stampa 3D, possibili strategie e applicazioni progettuali, nati dalla collaborazione con realtà professionali, industriali e laboratori. Il primo caso studio, FiberEUse, è legato all’utilizzo di polimeri termoindurenti rinforzati con fibre di vetro e carbonio riciclate per stampanti 3D di piccolo formato. Il secondo caso studio, RepMat, si occupa di polimeri termoplastici, scarti e sottoprodotti da biomasse con sistemi di grande formato. Le attività sperimentali hanno portato a studiare nuovi materiali, processi di manifattura additiva e applicazioni, dall’arredamento a campi tecnici come l’automotive e lo sport. Sulla base del concetto di “materioteca”, nasce il “sistema materioteca” (Materials Library System), uno strumento per creare e condividere conoscenza sui materiali circolari per la stampa 3D tramite reti diffuse e collaborative. Questo strumento open source, composto da una parte fisica e da una virtuale, può mostrare nuovi materiali (uso divulgativo) o guidare sperimentazioni con materiali e tecnologie emergenti in diversi contesti, come laboratori, studi, e makerspaces (uso sperimentale). La sperimentazione ha chiarito il contributo di progettisti coinvolti nell’utilizzo di materiali circolari per la stampa 3D in contesti reali, i materials designers e gli engineering designers. Infine, la ricerca ridefinisce il ruolo delle materioteche nel contesto attuale, contribuendo al processo di democratizzazione della conoscenza di materiali e tecnologie per e tramite il design.
Circularity by design, materials and additive manufacturing : fostering sustainable and circular materialities enabled by additive manufacturing
Romani, Alessia
2023/2024
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.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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2024_03_Romani_PhD_Appendix.pdf
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Descrizione: Ph.D. Thesis - Appendix
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2024_03_Romani_PhD_AppendixPublications.pdf
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Descrizione: Ph.D. Thesis - Appendix with publications
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2024_03_Romani_PhD.pdf
Open Access dal 22/02/2025
Descrizione: Ph.D. Thesis - Main Body
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51.06 MB
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/217101