Circularity in Aero-engine components production through additive manufacturing at GKN Aerospace Sweden

Sammanfattning

The thesis explores the potential of additive manufacturing to promote the circulareconomy in aero-engine component manufacturing, focusing on GKN AerospaceSweden´s resource optimization and waste reduction. The research identifies possiblecircular flows for the future material flow in the aero-engine components productionthrough additive manufacturing. The study examines GKN Aerospace's various aeroengineproduction methods and identifies potential circular approaches, such as thereuse and recycling of metal powders, the implementation of closed-loop systems andrecommendation of circular approaches to enhance sustainability. Furthermore, thethesis elucidates the role of additive manufacturing in ReSOLVE Framework to enablecircular economy principles. The research also provides recommendations for astrategy plan to incorporate Additive Manufacturing technologies (AM) into a circulareconomy framework within the GKN Aerospace context.