Additive Manufacturing of Ceramics Study: Sustainable Material Extrusion and Its Potential Role in Circular Economy Paula González-Suárez, Pedro Manuel Hernández-Castellano, Annabella Narganes-Pineda Applied Sciences Switzerland, 2026 Additive Manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a transformative technology enabling the production of complex geometries and customized components with minimal material waste. Within this field, the processing of ceramic materials represents a rapidly expanding research area due to their exceptional mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties. This work presents a comprehensive review of additive manufacturing processes applied to ceramics, such as Vat Photopolimerization, Binder Jetting and Laser Powder Bed Fusion, emphasizing their technological principles and capabilities. Particular attention is given to material extrusion-based additive manufacturing (MEX-AM) for ceramics, detailing its process mechanisms, rheological requirements, feedstock formulations and post-processing treatments necessary to achieve high-density and defect-free components. Furthermore, the study develops a sustainability-oriented evaluation of the ceramic MEX-AM process, addressing its environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Based on this assessment, several methodological approaches and tools are proposed to enhance process sustainability, as well as its alignment with Circular Economy principles. The outcomes of this research provide an integrated perspective on the sustainable development of ceramic additive manufacturing, supporting future advancements in Circular Design, process optimization, and industrial implementation.
Virtual Remotes Teaching Laboratories in the Progress of a Sustainable Education José Alejandro González-Medina, Paula González-Suárez, Pedro Manuel Hernández-Castellano Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering, 2026 Education plays a crucial role in sustainable development. The correct transmission of knowledge, creativity, and critical thinking to the next generations is essential to guarantee the health of modern society. However, data shows that absenteeism and failure among students remain significant issues. Particularly in engineering, a fundamental field for the progress of communities and the quality of life, there seems to be a lack of enthusiasm among new generations. Additionally, in this age of Industry 4.0, the rapid pace of technological advancement means that educational content often fails to align with the realities of the industry. For these reasons, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) has initiated a project aimed at incorporating virtual remote teaching laboratories (VRTL) to enhance engineering education. The goal is to facilitate practical training for students through digital twins that emulate the educational use of university equipment. This approach is intended to foster easier and more effective competency development, keeping students motivated while reducing material resource consumption. This work presents an analysis of the prototype and testing of a VRTL focused on a laser cutting machine, demonstrating the effectiveness and potential future development of this concept.
Bridging Circular Design Strategies and Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites: A Preliminary Conceptual Framework Annabella Narganes-Pineda, Pedro M. Hernández-Castellano, Paula González-Suárez Sustainability Switzerland, 2025 Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites (NFRPCs) are gaining attention as sustainable alternatives to conventional composite materials, due to their renewable origin, potential biodegradability, and possibly lower environmental impact. However, while technical advances in NFRPCs have progressed, the application of Circular Design (CD) strategies to their development remains underexplored. This paper presents a preliminary conceptual framework developed at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, aligning CD principles with the specific challenges and opportunities of NFRPCs. Building upon an extensive literature review, the study identifies and critically evaluates key design principles, tools, and strategies, assessing their relevance for guiding decision-making in this material context. The proposed framework offers guidance for integrating CD strategies from the earliest stages of product development, encompassing material selection, lifecycle mapping, and end-of-life planning. To assess its usability and practical value, the framework was tested through two academic case studies. The feedback gathered highlights both the framework’s potential as a learning and design support tool and the need for improved accessibility and clarity in Circular Design resources. Overall, this work contributes to bridging the gap between sustainable materials research and practical design application, offering a material-specific, adaptable, and bilingual resource for students, early-career engineers, and designers seeking to adopt circular practices. By combining systemic thinking with material-specific considerations, the framework fosters the development of more inclusive, regenerative, and ethically responsible design solutions.
Project “Acércate a la Ingeniería”: Impact assessment and satisfaction questionnaire Narganes-Pineda, Annabella, Araña-Suárez, Roberto E., Hernández-Pérez, Mariana, González-Suárez, Paula, Hernández-Castellano, Pedro M., et al. Sefi 2023 51st Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education Engineering Education for Sustainability Proceedings, 2023 Engineering is a key discipline in today's society, as it is sustainability. Therefore, this are concepts that must be introduced in early educational levels. In this context, the project “Acércate a la Ingeniería” (Get closer to Engineering), designed and carried out by the Department of Education of the Government of the Canary Islands in collaboration with the Industrial and Civil Engineering School (EIIC) of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), has arisen. This project brings together eighteen secondary schools (IES) from five of the eight Canary Islands. The aim of this project is to educate students to prevent their rejection of engineering degrees by the participation in different activities that brings them closer to engineering. Various questionnaires have been carried out in order to measure the impact this experience had on said students, as well as the differences between boys and girls in engineering matters and the satisfaction level of the participating groups. This paper focuses on the results obtained from said questionnaires and their analysis.
