Advance Journal of Science Engineering and Technology
Review Article
• Open Access
Sustainable Manufacturing in the Digital Era: A Comprehensive Review of Enabling Technologies, Life Cycle Engineering, and Educational Imperatives
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The convergence of digital technologies, sustainable materials, and advanced manufacturing processes represents a paradigm shift in industrial production. This comprehensive review examines the interconnected pillars of sustainable manufacturing, focusing on four critical domains: additive manufacturing and life cycle engineering, engineering graphics literacy as a foundation for manufacturing communication, biodegradable polymers as materials for environmentally responsible production, and quality assurance through machine learning-enabled defect detection. Through a structured literature review and comparative synthesis of peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2026, this paper investigates how deficiencies in technical drawing competency among engineering graduates contribute to manufacturing waste and rework while simultaneously examining how advances in additive manufacturing, life cycle engineering, biodegradable polymers, and machine learning-enabled quality assurance can collectively support sustainable manufacturing and circular economy objectives. The review reveals that engineering graphics competency gaps are associated with significant manufacturing inefficiencies, with industry professionals reporting production delays (79.55%), rework costs (78.41%), and scrap generation (73.86%) attributable to drawing-related errors. Concurrently, advances in additive manufacturing demonstrate potential for reducing material waste by 40-60% through topology optimization and part consolidation, though these benefits are highly context-dependent and require comprehensive life cycle assessment. Biodegradable polymers processed through additive manufacturing platforms offer pathways to circular manufacturing, with materials such as PLA, PCL, and PBAT showing compatibility with fused deposition modeling, direct ink writing, and digital light processing. The paper proposes an integrated framework connecting engineering education reform, sustainable material development, and advanced manufacturing technologies to achieve operational excellence and environmental responsibility. Key findings indicate that bridging the education-industry gap in technical drawing competency could substantially reduce manufacturing waste, while strategic adoption of life cycle engineering principles in additive manufacturing could decrease environmental impacts by 20-40% in transportation sectors. The study concludes that sustainable manufacturing requires simultaneous advancement in human capital development, material innovation, process technology, and quality assurance systems, supported by standardized curricula, industry-academia partnerships, and comprehensive life cycle assessment frameworks.
Keywords
Sustainable Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing, Life Cycle Engineering, Engineering Graphics Education, Biodegradable Polymers, Industry 4.0, Circular Economy,References
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