New Perspectives in Welding and Joining Processes of Metallic Materials

Dear Colleagues,

In all fields of main engineering applications (process plant, aerospace, automotive industry, ship building, electronic equipment, construction and infrastructure), welding and joining techniques for metallic components play a key role in ensuring the required performance, quality and safety in service. They have a direct influence on the primary properties of metallic equipment and structures, which, more and more frequently, should satisfy an increasingly broad set of requirements and multiple functions under operating conditions, including not only mechanical properties (strength, stiffness, damage resistance, fracture toughness, damping, etc.) but also properties of other types, depending on the specific application (electrical and thermal properties, energy storage, self-healing capability, etc.).

The continuous development of new metal alloys promotes research on advanced welding and joining technologies. Given the vast and diverse range of requirements and functions to be satisfied, investigations into the compatibility and weldability of materials, and in the metallurgical effects of joining processes parameters on their final microstructure and properties, are an essential phase in selecting and setting the most efficient joining processes.

In this regard, research to thoroughly understand the process mechanisms and related metallurgical phenomena on a scientific basis is required to be continuously and intensively carried out, and further work is still required in this field to interpret the correlation between process parameters, material microstructure, and joint efficiency. In addition, the current strong push towards environmental protection policies also raises the question of how welding and joining technologies can fit into the more general framework of the environmental sustainability of manufacturing processes.

This Special Issue invites researchers from academia, research institutions, and industry to contribute perspectives, research articles, and reviews with the aim of providing an overview on recent advances in welding and joining processes of metallic materials and outlining the current perspectives in the field. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Modelling and simulation of welding and joining processes;
• Metallurgical phenomena in joining processes;
• Heat source–material interaction mechanism;
• Weldability and metallurgical compatibility of materials;
• Microstructure, properties and behaviour of metal alloys subjected to joining and welding processes;
• Welding and joining parameters and optimization;
• Post-weld treatments;
• Developments of advanced welding and joining processes;
• Environmental impact and sustainability of welding and joining processes.

Prof. Dr. Fabio Giudice
Dr. Cristina Scolaro
Guest Editors

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