Environmentally Sustainable Management of 3D Printing Network: Decision Support for 3D Printing Work Allocation

The purpose of this study is to provide a model for environmentally sustainable management of 3D printing network systems. The proposed model provides not only a flexible structure to describe 3D printing processes but also a computational structure to find the optimal work allocation plan for minimizing environmental impact. A mathematical model is formulated to assist the optimal part-to-printer allocation decision in 3D printing network systems even under uncertainty. Numerical examples show that the proposed model can determine the operation of shared 3D printers in order to have minimum environmental impact. The proposed model can also deal with data uncertainty and provide robust solutions.