Large-Scale Metal Additive Manufacturing

Dear Colleagues,

The field of large-scale metal additive manufacturing (AM) has witnessed remarkable advancements in recent years, driven by the increasing demand for the rapid and cost-effective production of large-scale metal components across various industries, including aerospace, automotive, energy, and construction.

While the AM of large components was initially predominantly used for prototyping, the technology has now expanded its applications to include playing a direct part in production, in a process known as “Rapid Manufacturing”. This transition has been facilitated by advancements in the automation and scalability of metal AM systems, which caused the development of AM setups with high deposition rates and the concept of multi-wire and/or multi-robot printing. However, the reliability and performance of the relatively large components are still unclear. In this regard, and toward the “first time right” printing concept of large-scale metal AM, not only are more component scale performance tests required, but as are efficient and reliable numerical methodologies to predict thermal histories and resulting residual stresses, deformation, and microstructural evolution. These data can then be used to assess the durability and structural integrity of the component. Improvements in controlling and monitoring the process, development, and implementation of digital twins in the process of predicting defects and abnormality, and to prevent them during printing, as well as frameworks for process design and optimisation, printing strategies, and path planning, are some of the other key factors that can impact large-scale metal AM as a cost-effective solution.

This Special Issue of the Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing focuses on the recent advancements and ongoing research in large-scale metal additive manufacturing. We invite contributions that explore the latest developments in materials, processes, and applications of this rapidly evolving field.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Efficient numerical solutions for the thermal and thermomechanical simulation of large-scale AM processes;
• Design and optimisation for the AM of component-scale parts;
• Process optimisation and path planning of large-scale metal AM;
• Multi-material printing and functionally graded components;
• Qualification and performance of additively manufactured parts at a component level;
• Applications of large-scale metal AM in various industries;
• Economic and environmental considerations in large-scale additive manufacturing;
• Structural integrity and lifetime assessment of additively manufactured components .

This Special Issue will provide a valuable platform for researchers, engineers, and practitioners to share their latest findings and insights, fostering further innovation and development in the field of large-scale metal additive manufacturing.

Dr. Hessamoddin Moshayedi
Guest Editor

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• large-scale AM processes
• additive manufacturing
• 3D printing
• metal
• manufacturing
• material processing