Environmental Health and Safety II

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a transformative approach to today’s manufacturing industry that enables the creation of complex, low-cost, lighter, stronger, and customized parts and systems using a number of digital technologies. As the use of AM begins to expand to other domains for recreational, commercial, and educational purposes, there is an urgent need to examine its safety. This chapter will highlight copious health and safety issues that have emerged from the use different materials and AM processes. The hazards associated with the materials in relation to the different processes and the influence of energy sources and post-processing are delved into to broaden the scope of this important subject in literature. Among the various AM processes, material extrusion and Vat Photopolymerization are widely used in schools, universities, and industry with related health and safety concerns linked to the emission of ultrafine particles and volatile organic compounds, exposure to additives (fibers, nanocomposites, metal/ceramics powders), forms of feedstock materials (filament, powder, and liquid) during pre-processing, printing, and post-processing applications.