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 | Viewed by 240
Special Issue Editors
Interests: digital transformation in offshore engineering applications; product development and design; manufacturing systems, supply chain risk management; circular economy principles; renewable energy technologies; material behavior under material fusion processes
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). 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 part 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. This Special Issue also explores advanced recycling methods in textile and apparel manufacturing, with a focus on promoting closed-loop systems. It examines the latest sorting technologies for both pre-consumer and post-consumer textile waste, highlighting the challenges in sorting textiles efficiently, as well as the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms in enhancing sorting accuracy. Additionally, it considers the potential for integrating sensing systems into yarns, enabling more precise recycling processes while optimizing resource consumption and minimizing waste. The Issue further addresses the advancement of technologies used to repurpose textile waste into useful materials for the manufacturing and construction industries, opening new avenues for sustainable resource utilization. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is emphasized as a vital tool for guiding sustainable product development, fashion innovation, and design, and for evaluating circularity within closed-loop systems.
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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
- circular economy
- additive manufacturing (AM)
- metal recycling
- digital spare parts
- textile waste recycling
- artificial intelligence in manufacturing
- digital product passport (DPP)
- life cycle assessment (LCA)
- sustainable supply chains
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