Advances in Additive Manufacturing: Novel Technologies and Processes

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing (AM) presents several advantages over traditional manufacturing technologies and has experienced rapid growth in recent years. However, there are still technological issues preventing the industry from utilizing its full potential, which can be categorized under three pillars: design, processes, and materials. Addressing these challenges is crucial for advancing AM and realizing its full potential across various industrial domains.

We are pleased to invite you to submit your papers to this Special Issue, titled "Advances in Additive Manufacturing: Novel Technologies and Processes". Through this collection, we aim to gather cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews that advance our understanding of the latest developments in AM, focusing on overcoming existing challenges and fostering innovations.

For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome for submission. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

1. Innovative Additive Manufacturing Technologies
   • The development and application of innovative AM processes, allowing for higher productivity and a minimized need for post-processing;
   • Hybrid manufacturing processes combining and integrating AM with conventional processes;
   • Advances in multi-material and multi-functional AM.
2. Design Challenges in Additive Manufacturing
   • Design and redesign in AM, aiming for improved manufacturability, productivity, and quality;
   • Decision support systems for AM process selection, potentially integrating sustainability and resilience criteria;
   • The encapsulation of post-processing for AM into the design phase;
   • Approaches for the utilization of (generative) AI in AM design optimization;
   • Design aspects and considerations for multi-material AM and 4D-printing.
3. Process Optimization and Control
   • Practical and innovative modeling/simulation approaches for AM (nano-, micro-, macro-, and multi-scale);
   • Digital twins for AM, utilizing a holistic solution approach;
   • In situ monitoring, defect detection, and process control, especially for metal-based AM;
   • The development of efficient quality assessment applications for the mechanical properties of metal AM components;
   • The mitigation of AM part quality issues and process parameter optimization for specific key performance indicators (KPIs);
   • Data-driven certification approaches for AM in safety-critical applications.
4. Materials for Additive Manufacturing
   • Methods and approaches for utilizing multi-material AM for high-added-value products;
   • Investigation into the impact of process parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties;
   • Material-related aspects of 4D printing, including materials testing and validation;
   • Methodologies for 4D printing using conventional AM equipment and materials;
   • The development and testing of new materials for AM (metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, cement-based materials, and biomaterials).
5. Applications and Future Directions
   • Aerospace, automotive, and industrial applications;
   • Biomedical and healthcare applications, including tissue engineering and prosthetics;
   • Consumer products and custom manufacturing solutions;
   • Economic and environmental impacts of AM;
   • Future trends and potential disruptive innovations in AM.

The focus and goal of this Special Issue is to address the design-, process-, and material-related challenges of AM, proposing improvements related to these three pillars to enhance the wider industrial adoption of AM. We encourage submissions that explore these themes through experimental studies, theoretical research, and case studies, as well as interdisciplinary contributions that connect AM with other scientific and engineering domains.

We look forward to receiving your contributions to this exciting Special Issue.

Dr. Harry Bikas
Dr. Alessandro Salmi
Prof. Dr. Eleonora Atzeni
Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Stavropoulos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• additive manufacturing
• design for am
• decision support systems
• process optimization
• process simulation
• digital twin
• process control
• multi-material additive manufacturing
• 4D printing
• defect detection
• quality control