Design, Manufacturing, Measurement, and Quality Control Technologies for Assembly

Dear Colleagues,

With the accelerated evolution of global manufacturing toward smart, efficient, and low-carbon paradigms, design, manufacturing, measurement, and quality control technologies tailored for assembly processes have become indispensable cornerstones of product development and lifecycle management. These interrelated technologies directly influence assembly efficiency, product reliability, cost-effectiveness, and market competitiveness across industries such as aerospace, automotive, precision machinery, and electronic manufacturing. To showcase cutting-edge theoretical advancements, technological innovations, and industrial application practices in this interdisciplinary field, facilitate global academic exchange and knowledge translation, and drive the sustainable development of assembly-oriented technologies, this Special Issue “Design, Manufacturing, Measurement, and Quality Control Technologies for Assembly” is officially launched. We invite researchers, engineers, and postgraduates worldwide to contribute original research findings and comprehensive reviews.

Considering the division according to professional technical fields, research topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Assembly-oriented design technologies:

• Intelligent assembly process planning and optimization;
• Tolerance analysis, synthesis, and allocation for assembly systems;
• Modular, platform-based, and disassembly-friendly design;
• Integration of assembly design with CAD/CAPP/CAE systems;
• Digital twin-driven assembly design and validation;
• Part design for assembly compatibility (e.g., geometry optimization, mating feature design, ease of handling and insertion);
• Design for part standardization, interchangeability, and assembly adaptability.

(2) Assembly-centric manufacturing technologies:

• Intelligent assembly process planning and optimization;
• Tolerance analysis, synthesis, and allocation for assembly systems;
• Modular, platform-based, and disassembly-friendly design;
• Integration of assembly design with CAD/CAPP/CAE systems;
• Digital twin-driven assembly design and validation.

(3) Assembly process measurement and inspection technologies:

• In situ/online measurement for assembly quality monitoring;
• Three-dimensional optical measurement, laser scanning, and coordinate measuring technologies;
• Micro/nano-scale measurement for precision assembly;
• Multi-sensor fusion and data fusion in assembly measurement;
• Measurement data analytics and visualization for assembly optimization.

(4) Assembly quality control and assurance technologies:

• Statistical Process Control (SPC) and quality prediction models for assembly;
• Fault diagnosis, prognosis, and fault-tolerant assembly technologies;
• Intelligent quality inspection systems (machine vision, AI-based detection);
• Assembly quality traceability and closed-loop control;
• Robust design for assembly quality improvement.

(5) Cross-disciplinary applications and innovations:

• Smart assembly technologies in Industry 4.0 environments;
• Digital twin and virtual assembly simulation;
• Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)-enabled assembly quality management;
• Assembly technologies for emerging industries (e.g., new energy vehicles, aerospace);
• Human–robot collaboration in assembly processes.

Dr. Feiyan Guo
Dr. Zhengping Chang
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. 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.

• assembly
• process and product design
• manufacturing
• measurement
• quality control