Implications of direct digital manufacturing on sustainable supply chain management

Advances in additive manufacturing over the last three decades has enabled an evolution in their use from rapid prototyping to the production of final products through direct digital manufacturing. As direct digital manufacturing facilitates the production of products directly from their digital model using additive manufacturing equipment, it carries a huge potential to change not only today’s manufacturing but also supply chains. Recently, managing sustainable supply chains to respond to increasing pressures of various stakeholders to incorporate environmental and social aspects has been challenging for both the industry and academia. In this study, we provide an overview of sustainability implications of direct digital manufacturing through the lenses of sustainable supply chain management