Advances in Manufacturing Processes: Technologies and Applications
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Additive Manufacturing Technologies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: circular economy in manufacturing systems, product development for circular economy; digital warehouses and digital spare parts, additive manufacturing; production engineering; design engineering; manufacturing process mechanics; engineering management; manufacturing process optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: Distributed control systems with a focus on manufacturing and service enterprises
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue on "Advances in Manufacturing Processes: Technologies and Applications" focuses on the technological and systemic transformations driving the shift toward circular economy practices in manufacturing. Key topics include innovations in metal recycling and their integration into additive manufacturing (AM) technologies such as wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), cold metal transfer (CMT), powder bed fusion (PBF), and directed energy deposition (DED). This Special Issue also addresses advanced recycling methods in textile and apparel manufacturing, promoting closed-loop systems. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is highlighted as an essential tool for guiding sustainable product development. The evolution of welding technologies toward AM processes demonstrates how legacy systems can be retooled for circularity. Special emphasis is placed on aligning manufacturing process planning with digital spare parts strategies and virtual warehouses, enabling on-demand production and reducing dependence on physical inventory. This digital shift supports the life extension of legacy assets by facilitating cost-effective, just-in-time part replacement. Furthermore, the revitalization of manufacturing systems and supply chains is explored, alongside the role of the Digital Product Passport (DPP) in ensuring product traceability and enabling iterative circular product development. This Special Issue provides a comprehensive platform for exploring how advanced manufacturing processes can accelerate the transition to circular, sustainable industrial ecosystems.
Prof. Dr. R. M. Chandima Ratnayake
Prof. Dr. Vittaldas V Prabhu
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.
Keywords
- additive manufacturing (AM)
- metal recycling
- powder bed fusion (PBF)
- directed energy deposition (DED)
- wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM)
- cold metal transfer (CMT)
- life cycle assessment (LCA)
- digital spare parts
- digital product passport (DPP)
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