Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Materials Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Advances in Manufacturing and Materials: Additive Manufacturing and High-Performance Alloys

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Manufacturing Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 December 2026 | Viewed by 4334

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jianyu Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing Technology for Vehicle, College of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, China
Interests: Al/Mg alloys; metal matrix composites; casting; hot deformation; heat treatment; FDS/SPR connection; solidification simulation

Prof. Dr. Jinliang Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: additive manufacturing; metallic materials; material–structure–function integration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, additive manufacturing and stirring friction techniques have made significant advances, and they are important processes for manufacturing most aluminium alloys, composites, and other metal parts. Stirring friction is an advanced solid-phase additive manufacturing technology. Compared with the traditional melt-based additive manufacturing technology, it has the advantages of dense additive structure, low material deformation, and high process efficiency and energy saving, and it has broad application prospects in the fields of aerospace equipment manufacturing, transport, machinery manufacturing, and so on. At present, the performance demands of high-end light metal components tend to be extreme, and performance limits are approached by single material or process optimization alone. Therefore, in addition to advanced forming technologies, the development of new high-performance light alloy materials, such as aluminium alloys and metal matrix composites, that match the new technologies is crucial.

This dedicated focus Special Issue aims to publish original research and high-quality review articles that address recent advancements in manufacturing and materials, specifically additive manufacturing and high-performance alloys. The potential topics covered in this focus Special Issue will encompass a wide range, including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Recent advances in advanced stirring friction technologies;

(2) Multi-material additive manufacturing technologies;

(3) Applications of artificial intelligence in additive manufacturing;

(4) Solid-state additive manufacturing;

(5) F-SPR/FDS additive manufacturing technology;

(6) Development of aluminium alloys, metal matrix composites, and others;

(7) Liquid/semi-solid metal manufacturing technologies.

Dr. Jianyu Li
Prof. Dr. Jinliang Zhang
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. Materials 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 2600 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

solid-state additive manufacturing
aluminium alloys
magnesium alloys
metal matrix composites
stirring friction technologies

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 3728 KB

Open AccessArticle

Laser Wire Directed Energy Deposition of 5356 Aluminum Alloy: Process Parameter Optimization and Porosity Prediction

by Xiangfei Zhang, Yujia Mei, Huomu Yang and Shouhuan Zhou

Materials 2026, 19(6), 1104; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19061104 - 12 Mar 2026

Viewed by 467

Abstract

Laser wire directed energy deposition (LWDED) has garnered significant attention for the fabrication of large metallic components. However, the complex coupling effects among its process parameters pose challenges for porosity control. Optimizing parameter combinations to effectively minimize porosity is therefore critical to the broader adoption of this technology. In this study, systematic experiments and modeling were conducted to optimize the LWDED process parameters and predict porosity. First, single-factor and orthogonal experiments were performed to evaluate the individual effects of laser power, scanning speed, wire feeding speed, and air pressure on porosity. Subsequently, range analysis and analysis of variance were employed to determine the influence of each parameter and the significance of their interactions. Four machine learning models—SVR, RF, GPR, and XGBoost—were then trained and compared. Among them, the SVR model exhibited the best predictive performance, achieving an R² of 0.8960, an RMSE of 0.19, and an MAE of 0.15, outperforming the other three models. Based on this, the SVR model was further utilized to establish the mapping between process parameters and porosity. Contour maps and three-dimensional surface plots were generated to visualize porosity variation patterns under interacting parameters. Validation experiments showed that the maximum relative error between model predictions and experimental measurements was 0.514%, with an average error of 0.251%. This study provides a reliable reference for selecting low-porosity parameter combinations in the LWDED fabrication of 5356 aluminum alloy components. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Manufacturing and Materials: Additive Manufacturing and High-Performance Alloys)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 18396 KB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling and Mechanistic Analysis of Molten Pool Evolution and Energy Synergy in Laser–Cold Metal Transfer Hybrid Additive Manufacturing of 316L Stainless Steel

by Jun Deng, Chen Yan, Xuefei Cui, Chuang Wei and Ji Chen

Materials 2026, 19(2), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19020292 - 11 Jan 2026

Viewed by 662

Abstract

The present work uses numerical methods to explore the impact of spatial orientation on the behavior of molten pool and thermal responses during the laser–Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) hybrid additive manufacturing of metallic cladding layers. Based on the traditional double-ellipsoidal heat source model, an adaptive CMT arc heat source model was developed and optimized using experimentally calibrated parameters to accurately represent the coupled energy distribution of the laser and CMT arc. The improved model was employed to simulate temperature and velocity fields under horizontal, transverse, vertical-up, and vertical-down orientations. The results revealed that variations in gravity direction had a limited effect on the overall molten pool morphology due to the dominant role of vapor recoil pressure, while significantly influencing the local convection patterns and temperature gradients. The simulations further demonstrated the formation of keyholes, dual-vortex flow structures, and Marangoni-driven circulation within the molten pool, as well as the redistribution of molten metal under different orientations. In multi-layer deposition simulations, optimized heat input effectively mitigated excessive thermal stresses, ensured uniform interlayer bonding, and maintained high forming accuracy. This work establishes a comprehensive numerical framework for analyzing orientation-dependent heat and mass transfer mechanisms and provides a solid foundation for the adaptive control and optimization of laser–CMT hybrid additive manufacturing processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Manufacturing and Materials: Additive Manufacturing and High-Performance Alloys)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

29 pages, 14647 KB

Open AccessArticle

Precipitation Processes in Sanicro 25 Steel at 700–900 °C: Experimental Study and Digital Twin Simulation

by Grzegorz Cempura and Adam Kruk

Materials 2025, 18(15), 3594; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153594 - 31 Jul 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1100

Abstract

Sanicro 25 (X7NiCrWCuCoNb25-23-3-3-2) steel is specifically designed for use in superheater components within the latest generation of conventional power plants. These power plants operate under conditions often referred to as super-ultra-supercritical, with steam parameters that can reach up to 30 MPa and temperatures of 653 °C for fresh steam and 672 °C for reheated steam. While last-generation supercritical power plants still rely on fossil fuels, they represent a significant step forward in more sustainable energy production. The most sophisticated facilities of this kind can achieve thermodynamic efficiencies exceeding 47%. This study aimed to conduct a detailed analysis of the initial precipitation processes occurring in Sanicro 25 steel within the temperature range of 700–900 °C. The temperature of 700 °C corresponds to the operational conditions of this material, particularly in secondary steam superheaters in thermal power plants that operate under ultra-supercritical parameters. Understanding precipitation processes is crucial for optimizing mechanical performance, particularly in terms of long-term strength and creep resistance. To accurately assess the microstructural changes that occur during the early stages of service, a digital twin approach was employed, which included CALPHAD simulations and experimental heat treatments. Experimental annealing tests were conducted in air within the temperature range of 700–900 °C. Precipitation behavior was simulated using the Thermo-Calc 2025a with Dictra software package. The results from Prisma simulations correlated well with the experimental data related to the kinetics of phase transformations; however, it was noted that the predicted sizes of the precipitates were generally smaller than those observed in experiments. Additionally, computational limitations were encountered during some simulations due to the complexity arising from the numerous alloying elements present in Sanicro 25 steel. The microstructural evolution was investigated using various methods, including light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Manufacturing and Materials: Additive Manufacturing and High-Performance Alloys)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 4387 KB

Open AccessArticle

Lightweight, Strong and Stiff Lattice Structures Inspired by Solid Solution Strengthening

by Peijie Xiao, Shiwei Xu, Longbao Chen, Zhisheng Ruan, Zhuoran Zeng, Zhi Xiao and Jianyu Li

Materials 2025, 18(9), 1984; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18091984 - 27 Apr 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1534

Abstract

In engineering design, introducing lattice structures offers a cost-effective method for reducing weight while enhancing load-bearing efficiency, compared to merely enhancing the material strength of a solid component. Among the various lattice structure configurations developed thus far, the strength and stiffness of these structures remain significantly below their theoretical limits. This study demonstrates that the theoretical limits of strength and stiffness in lattice structures can be achieved by mimicking the solid solution strengthening mechanism in materials science. This innovative structure achieves the highest load-bearing efficiency to date and is applicable to lattice structures of any geometric configuration. The introduction of the sosoloid structure, a lattice structure with struts reinforced along the loading direction, increases the theoretical limits of lattice strength and stiffness by 20% and 27.5%, respectively, compared to traditional uniform lattice structures. The most effective enhancement is observed when sosoloid structures exhibit the highest material utilization rate and optimal spatial layout. These findings offer a general approach to achieving high load-bearing structures and have broad application prospects in lightweight and high-strength structures, such as human bone design and energy absorption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Manufacturing and Materials: Additive Manufacturing and High-Performance Alloys)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Advances in Manufacturing and Materials: Additive Manufacturing and High-Performance Alloys

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI