Digitalisation of material science – Improving product design in the context of Industry 4.0

The pace of transition from prototyping to rapid manufacturing within the framework of Industry 4.0 has greatly increased. This increased rate of use of direct digital manufacturing to produce commercial products takes place within the backdrop of the major societal challenge of climate change. There is now an increased realization of the need to make wider use of sustainable materials in the manufacturing of products with a much -reduced carbon foot print.