Advances in 3D Printing Technologies: Materials, Processes, and Applications

A special issue of Machines (ISSN 2075-1702). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Manufacturing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 915

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Mechanical Engineering Department, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, 100680 Ploiesti, Romania
Interests: numerical analysis; 3D printing; design optimization; buckling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș, Nicolae Iorga Street 1, 540088 Târgu Mureș, Romania
2. Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Center, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Târgu Mureș, Nicolae Iorga Street 1, 540088 Târgu Mureș, Romania
Interests: management; innovation; healthcare; rehabilitation; quality management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to submit your research for this Special Issue of the Machines journal,  published by MDPI, entitled “Advances in 3D Printing Technologies: Materials, Processes, and Applications”. This Special Issue aims to explore the latest developments in 3D printing, addressing the growing demand for innovative, efficient, and sustainable solutions across various industries. 

Recent advancements in materials, such as biocompatible polymers, high-performance composites, and sustainable alternatives, are expanding the capabilities of 3D printing technologies. Furthermore, emerging applications in healthcare, aerospace, automotive, and beyond are driving the development of cutting-edge processes, including hybrid methods and precision manufacturing. IoT-enabled monitoring and AI-driven design optimization are further revolutionizing the landscape, enabling smarter, adaptive, and more efficient additive manufacturing workflows. Despite these innovations, challenges remain in areas like scalability, process optimization, and material behavior under unique stress states, necessitating continued research. 

For this Special Issue, we welcome submissions showcasing novel materials, process innovations, and real-world applications. Contributions should include experimental, computational, or theoretical approaches to enhance the understanding and implementation of 3D printing, with a focus on integrating IoT and AI to further advance the field. 

We encourage you to submit your work in the following research areas:

- Development of advanced materials for 3D printing; 

- Hybrid and non-traditional printing techniques; 

- IoT-enabled monitoring and control in 3D printing;

- Precision, scalability, and optimization in additive manufacturing; 

- Sustainable materials and processes; 

- Applications in healthcare, aerospace, and automotive industries; 

- Characterization and modeling of printed materials; 

- Multi-material and multi-scale printing; 

- Quality assurance and defect analysis; 

- Process monitoring, data-driven methods, and Industry 4.0 integration.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in JMMP.

Dr. Maria Tanase
Dr. Cristina Veres
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. Machines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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.

Keywords

  • 3D printing technologies
  • additive manufacturing
  • advanced materials
  • process optimization
  • hybrid printing methods
  • sustainable manufacturing
  • biocompatible polymers
  • high-performance composites
  • multi-material printing
  • IoT integration AI in additive manufacturing
  • industry 4.0 integration

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

35 pages, 7142 KiB  
Review
A Bibliometric Review of 3D-Printed Functionally Graded Materials, Focusing on Mechanical Properties
by Cristina Veres and Maria Tănase
Machines 2025, 13(3), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines13030232 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 547
Abstract
Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are a class of advanced materials characterized by spatially varying properties, offering significant advantages in aerospace, automotive, and biomedical industries. The integration of additive manufacturing (AM) has revolutionized the fabrication of FGMs, enabling precise control over material gradients and [...] Read more.
Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are a class of advanced materials characterized by spatially varying properties, offering significant advantages in aerospace, automotive, and biomedical industries. The integration of additive manufacturing (AM) has revolutionized the fabrication of FGMs, enabling precise control over material gradients and complex geometries. This review presents a comprehensive bibliometric and content analysis of 3D-printed FGMs, focusing on materials, processing techniques, mechanical properties, and application trends. The findings highlight the growing research interest in FGMs since 2016, with a peak in 2021, and the dominant contributions from the USA and China. Key research trends include advancements in selective laser melting and direct energy deposition techniques, which have enhanced mechanical performance by improving wear resistance, tensile strength, and elasticity. Despite these advancements, challenges such as residual stresses, interfacial bonding weaknesses, and material anisotropy persist. Future research should focus on optimizing AM processes to enhance material homogeneity, developing eco-friendly materials to align with sustainability goals, and establishing standardized testing methods for FGMs to ensure their reliability in industrial applications. Full article
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