Layered Sustainability. Design Inference for Circular Economy in Additive Manufacturing

This study explores Additive Manufacturing (AM) as a pivotal technology for achieving circularity and sustainability through design-thinking approaches. Focusing on Design interventions in AM processes, the research integrates theoretical foundations with practical applications via case studies analysis. By employing a case-based reasoning method across micro, meso, macro, and meta (5M) scales, the study provides insights and adaptive guidelines for transformative interventions that drive circular changes towards Circular Economy (CE) models in AM. The 5M framework, based on the Design for Sustainability Evolutionary Framework, guides case study classification, while the ICF model deconstructs case data into conceptual keywords, illustrating interconnected relationships across 5M levels.