Reverse-enabled additive manufacturing for sustainable product renewal – a critical review

This review article discusses the integration of reverse engineering with additive manufacturing (AM) as a sustainable product development and manufacturing solution. Reverse engineering and AM are two critical technologies that have gained significant attention in recent years. Reverse engineering involves the process of deconstructing and analysing an existing product to understand its design and functionality. At the same time, AM allows for creation of complex geometries through layer-by-layer material deposition. By utilising reverse engineering to analyse and optimise existing products and designs and then using AM to produce these optimised designs with reduced material waste, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions, sustainability can be achieved throughout the entire product life cycle. This review explores the benefits of this integrated approach, including reduced costs, decreased environmental impact, and enhanced supply chain efficiency. In addition, challenges and opportunities associated with this integration are discussed, along with potential future directions for research in this field. Ultimately, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the benefits and challenges associated with integrating reverse engineering with AM, highlighting its potential to maintain sustainability in product development and manufacturing.