Processes, Properties and Applications of Metal Additive Manufacturing

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing (AM) and three-dimensional (3D) printing, based on the innovational principle of the incremental addition of a material to build a part directly in its final or near-final geometry, have been accelerating the development of advanced manufacturing technologies. Metal AM has seen great industrial adoption and maturation, especially in the aerospace and medical fields. Currently, metal AM methods are mainly divided into laser-based, electron beam-based, and arc-based AM technologies according to the heat source type. High-energy beam-based AM, due to its high energy density and rapid heating/cooling nature, can produce an ultrahigh temperature gradient within a mesoscale molten pool and a huge solidification rate. As a result, a non-equilibrium metastable microstructure and attendant unique physical or chemical properties can be formed. In recent years, after the long-term contribution of metal AM research in improving component densification and forming quality, it has entered a new stage of development where more attention is being paid to the enhancement and breakthrough of mechanical properties and the functionalization of components. At present, this work has gradually developed several prominent research hotspots including the multi-scale modeling and in situ monitoring of AM process, AM of nanoparticle-reinforced metal matrix composites, AM of graded functional materials, innovation design and the AM of function-driven porous structures, etc.

In this Special Issue, we welcome articles that focus on the novel designs, metallurgical process controls, property characterizations and particular applications of additive manufactured metals. High-performance functional materials developed using metal AM methods are of special interest, with a high implementation potential in functionality programming that allows the production of highly adaptable functional metal parts.

Dr. Chenglong Ma
Dr. Hongmei Zhang
Dr. Shuai Ma
Guest Editors

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• metal-based additive manufacturing
• metal matrix composite
• multi-scale modeling
• process monitor
• porous structures
• mechanical properties
• functionalities