Industry 4.0: Design and Improvement of Additive Manufacturing

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an umbrella term that encompasses seven categories, i.e., VAT photopolymerization, material jetting, binder jetting, material extrusion, powder bed fusion, sheet lamination and directed energy deposition. AM has been around for decades, and has demonstrated its significance through design freedom, time and cost-effectiveness, as well as integration with artificial intelligence which has driven generative design to develop bespoke products. These benefits have evolved AM into a notable pillar of Industry 4.0; the other pillars include augmented reality, simulation, autonomous robots, Industrial Internet of Things, big data analytics, cloud computing, cyber security as well as horizontal and vertical integration. The fourth industrial revolution is characterized by interconnectivity, automation, machine learning and real-time data analytics, leading to the cyber-physical transformation of manufacturing. These are exciting times for AM, as with the rapid growth in consumer demands and need for the customization of products, it can meet these stringent requirements with the help of other Industry 4.0 pillars able to support the design, analysis and improvement of AM methods and products. There exists an interconnectedness between the Industry 4.0 pillars and AM, where they are either used directly (for AM) or indirectly (with AM) to manufacture products and improve processes. This Special Issue focuses on such interactions, resulting in the development of digital twins, cyber-physical systems and operation management approaches through the incorporation of Industry 4.0 in driving the optimisation of AM methods and products.

Innovative research highlighting the development of a continuous digital thread for AM, both for product design and process management, starting from the raw material stage to customer feedback is crucial to leverage the benefits of AM for increased efficiency and productivity. Therefore, we welcome articles demonstrating the impact of Industry 4.0 on AM via principles such as interoperability, virtualisation, decentralisation, real-time capability, service orientation and modularity.

Dr. Javaid Butt
Guest Editor

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• additive manufacturing
• industry 4.0
• digital twin
• cyber-physical system
• digital manufacturing
• artificial intelligence
• machine learning