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Design and Application of Additive Manufacturing: 3rd Edition
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Design and Application of Additive Manufacturing: 3rd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 6590

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Rubén Paz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas, Spain
Interests: manufacturing processes; additive manufacturing; design optimization; finite element analysis; biomaterials and natural fibre applications; additive manufacturing for tissue engineering applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The success of our previous two volumes of the Special Issue “Design and Application of Additive Manufacturing” underlines that the issues of additive manufacturing are still open and require further research. This fact has encouraged us to create a third Special Issue under the same title that will further present state-of-the-art advances in additive manufacturing (AM).

Additive manufacturing (AM) is continuously improving and offering innovative alternatives to conventional manufacturing techniques. The advantages of AM, such as design freedom and low-cost production for short series and prototyping, can be exploited in different sectors by replacing or complementing traditional manufacturing methods. For this to happen, the combination of design, materials, and technology must be deeply analysed for every specific application. Despite the continuous progress of AM, there is still a need for further investigation in terms of the design, materials, and applications to boost AM implementation in the manufacturing industry as well as other sectors, especially in those where short and personalized series productions could be useful (e.g., the medical sector). This Special Issue aims to publish high-level research articles involving design, materials, and applications of AM, including innovative design approaches where AM is applied to improve currently used techniques; design and modelling methodologies for specific AM applications; design optimization (also driven by numerical methods such as finite element analysis) for pioneering uses of AM; innovative design and applications of functionally graded additive manufacturing and 4D printing; the combination of design, materials, and AM for advanced tissue engineering applications and biosensors; development of synthetic models for the medical sector, taking advantage of AM capabilities; application of more sustainable materials in AM, etc. The proposals must focus on the application of AM, including the design methodologies used and the experimental characterizations needed according to the specific materials and requirements of the intended applications

Prof. Dr. Rubén Paz
Guest Editor

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. 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

  • additive manufacturing
  • innovative applications
  • design
  • materials
  • simulation
  • optimization

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 5103 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Post-Processing of Three-Dimensional Printed Porous Titanium Alloys
by Tairong Li, Mengyu Xu, Jinzhi Yao, Liping Deng and Bingshu Wang
Materials 2025, 18(8), 1864; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18081864 - 18 Apr 2025
Viewed by 160
Abstract
Ti6Al4V is widely utilized in orthopedic implants due to its excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. However, traditional solid titanium implants exhibit an elastic modulus (90–115 GPa) significantly higher than that of human bone (10–30 GPa), leading to stress shielding and implant [...] Read more.
Ti6Al4V is widely utilized in orthopedic implants due to its excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. However, traditional solid titanium implants exhibit an elastic modulus (90–115 GPa) significantly higher than that of human bone (10–30 GPa), leading to stress shielding and implant loosening. To address this, porous titanium alloys have been developed to better match bone elasticity. Additive manufacturing, particularly selective laser melting (SLM), enables precise control over pore size and porosity, thereby tuning mechanical properties. Nevertheless, SLM-produced porous structures often suffer from powder adhesion, which compromises bone integration and patient safety. In this study, bulk Ti6Al4V samples were fabricated via SLM with a fixed laser power of 200 W and varying scanning speeds (800–1400 mm/s). Density measurements and surface defect analysis identified 1200 mm/s as the optimal scanning speed. Cubic unit cell scaffolds with different pore diameters (400, 600, 800 μm) and porosities (60%, 80%) were subsequently designed. Compression tests revealed that scaffolds with a 400 μm pore diameter and 60% porosity exhibited the highest compressive strength (794 MPa) and fracture strain (41.35%). Chemical polishing using a diluted HF-HNO3 solution (1:2:97) effectively removed adhered powder without significant structural degradation, with 40 min identified as the optimal polishing duration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Application of Additive Manufacturing: 3rd Edition)
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34 pages, 7076 KiB  
Article
Optimization of LCD-Based 3D Printing for the Development of Clotrimazole-Coated Microneedle Systems
by Oliwia Kordyl, Zuzanna Styrna, Monika Wojtyłko, Jolanta Dlugaszewska, Dorota Kaminska, Marek Murias, Dariusz T. Mlynarczyk, Barbara Jadach, Agnieszka Skotnicka, Bozena Michniak-Kohn and Tomasz Osmałek
Materials 2025, 18(7), 1580; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18071580 - 31 Mar 2025
Viewed by 593
Abstract
Fungal infections pose a significant global health problem, affecting 20–25% of the population and contributing to over 3.75 million deaths annually. Clotrimazole (CLO) is a widely used topical antifungal drug, but its efficacy is limited by poor penetration through the stratum corneum. [...] Read more.
Fungal infections pose a significant global health problem, affecting 20–25% of the population and contributing to over 3.75 million deaths annually. Clotrimazole (CLO) is a widely used topical antifungal drug, but its efficacy is limited by poor penetration through the stratum corneum. Microneedle (MN) systems, composed of micron-scale structures arranged on a patch, offer a promising strategy to overcome the outermost skin barrier and enhance drug penetration into deeper layers. However, optimizing MN design, particularly in terms of size, shape, and fabrication technology, is essential for efficient drug delivery. This study aimed to develop CLO-coated MN systems using an Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)-based 3D printing technique and a thin-film dip-coating method. A comprehensive optimization of printing parameters, including anti-aliasing, layer thickness, curing time, and printing angle, was conducted to ensure the desired mechanical properties. The optimized MNs were coated with either suspension or ethanol-based CLO-hydrogels, with ethanol hydrogel demonstrating superior characteristics. Additionally, the study investigated how microneedle geometry and coating formulation influenced drug release. Antifungal activity against reference and clinical origin Candida albicans strains varied significantly depending on the coating formulation. Finally, the acute toxicity test confirmed no significant toxic effects on Aliivibrio fischeri, indicating the potential biocompatibility and safety of the developed MN-based drug delivery system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Application of Additive Manufacturing: 3rd Edition)
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Graphical abstract

19 pages, 21924 KiB  
Article
Redesign of a Flange Wheel Used in an Airplane for Composite Manufacturing Made with a Mold with Removable Inserts Manufactured by Means of 3D Printing: A Comparison with the Current Conventional Alternative, a Turbine Wheel Machined out of Aluminum
by Carlos Javierre, Víctor Camañes, Julio Vidal, José Antonio Dieste and Angel Fernandez
Materials 2025, 18(6), 1296; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18061296 - 15 Mar 2025
Viewed by 444
Abstract
This work presents the redesign of an aircraft aluminum turbine wheel into a thermoplastic composite flange wheel with the support of 3D printing technology, which increases the turbine efficiency thanks to the introduction of the flange geometry, not possible with the current machined [...] Read more.
This work presents the redesign of an aircraft aluminum turbine wheel into a thermoplastic composite flange wheel with the support of 3D printing technology, which increases the turbine efficiency thanks to the introduction of the flange geometry, not possible with the current machined aluminum part. This work seeks the reduction of the aircraft’s structural weight by replacing metallic components with thermoplastic alternatives and proves the feasibility of producing a complex geometry product through injection molding, paving the way for manufacturing intricate designs using removable inserts created via 3D printing. This work has been developed within the INN-PAEK project of the H2020-CLEAN SKY 2 program. The thermoplastic component is produced using an innovative process that employs removable inserts in the mold, and its development has followed following three steps: redesign of aluminum part according to functional and plastic materials requirements, design of the mold, and validation of real plastic parts by means of tomography. This paper highlights highly positive results for the project, influenced by the new plastic flange wheel’s ability to achieve both weight reduction and an overall efficiency enhancement that decreases the aircraft’s kerosene consumption, and proves that 3D printing is a highly potential technology for complex thermoplastic part tooling production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Application of Additive Manufacturing: 3rd Edition)
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27 pages, 11176 KiB  
Article
Can the Dimensional Optimisation of 3D FDM-Manufactured Parts Be a Solution for a Correct Design?
by Adrian Neacșa, Alin Diniță and Ștefan Virgil Iacob
Materials 2025, 18(2), 408; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18020408 - 16 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 715
Abstract
Additive manufacturing technology, also known as 3D printing, has emerged as a viable alternative in modern manufacturing processes. Unlike traditional manufacturing methods, which often involve complex mechanical operations that can lead to errors and inconsistencies in the final product, additive technology offers a [...] Read more.
Additive manufacturing technology, also known as 3D printing, has emerged as a viable alternative in modern manufacturing processes. Unlike traditional manufacturing methods, which often involve complex mechanical operations that can lead to errors and inconsistencies in the final product, additive technology offers a new approach that enables precise layer-by-layer production with improved geometric accuracy, reduced material consumption and increased design flexibility. Geometrical accuracy is a critical issue in industries such as aerospace, automotive, medicine and consumer goods, hence the importance of the following question: can the dimensional optimisation of 3D FDM-manufactured parts be a solution for correct design? This paper presents a complex study of model parts printed from four common polymers used in fused deposition modelling (FDM) additive technology, namely ABS (acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene), PLA (polylactic acid), HIPS (high-impact polystyrene) and PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol). The results of the methodology used highlight the dimensional changes that need to be made at the design stage, depending on the direction of printing and the type of geometric elements in the final part. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Application of Additive Manufacturing: 3rd Edition)
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28 pages, 19240 KiB  
Article
Application of Powder-Bed Fusion of Metals Using a Laser for Manufacturing of M300 Maraging Steel Tools Intended for Sheet Metal Bending
by Krzysztof Żaba, Maciej Balcerzak, Łukasz Kuczek, Marcel Wiewióra, Ilona Różycka, Tomasz Trzepieciński and Jarosław Mizera
Materials 2024, 17(24), 6185; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17246185 - 18 Dec 2024
Viewed by 958
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a pilot application of Powder-Bed Fusion of Metals Using a Laser (PBF-LB/M) for the fabrication of M300 (1.2709) maraging steel sheet metal bending tools. S235 steel was used as a substrate for the fabrication of bending punches. [...] Read more.
This paper presents the results of a pilot application of Powder-Bed Fusion of Metals Using a Laser (PBF-LB/M) for the fabrication of M300 (1.2709) maraging steel sheet metal bending tools. S235 steel was used as a substrate for the fabrication of bending punches. The main goal of the research was to determine the usability of such tools without heat treatment, which would contribute to the increase in the cost of tool production. Industrial tests of tools were conducted during the forming of Inconel 625 and AW-6061 T0 aluminium alloy sheets. The punches were subjected to tests of surface roughness, hardness, microstructure, porosity, and geometric quality in order to verify the quality and accuracy of tools made by the PBF-LB/M technique before and after experimental investigations in industrial conditions in a selected manufacturing company. It was found that tools with an M300 steel working layer after the PBF-LB/M process without heat treatment show suitability for bending sheet metal in a certain range of force parameters, ensuring obtaining elements after bending from Inconel 625 and AW-6061 T0 aluminium alloy sheets of the required geometric quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Application of Additive Manufacturing: 3rd Edition)
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21 pages, 10990 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Influence of Fused Deposition Modeling 3D Printing Process Parameters on Tensile Properties of Polylactic Acid Parts Using the Taguchi Method
by Getu Koro Megersa, Wojciech Sitek, Agnieszka J. Nowak and Neven Tomašić
Materials 2024, 17(23), 5951; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17235951 - 5 Dec 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1105
Abstract
Despite Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) being an economical 3D printing method known for its material versatility and ease of use, the mechanical performance of FDM-produced components is significantly influenced by process parameter settings. This study investigated the effects of the layer thickness, raster [...] Read more.
Despite Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) being an economical 3D printing method known for its material versatility and ease of use, the mechanical performance of FDM-produced components is significantly influenced by process parameter settings. This study investigated the effects of the layer thickness, raster angle, build orientation, and extrusion temperature on the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elastic modulus of Polylactic Acid (PLA) specimens using Taguchi methods, with significance analyzed through analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results indicated that the build orientation is the primary factor affecting both the UTS and elastic modulus, with a flat orientation yielding the best performance. ANOVA showed that the build orientation, raster angle, and extrusion temperature significantly influence the UTS, with the build orientation contributing 98.16%. For the elastic modulus, the build orientation and raster angle were significant, contributing 94.83% and 1.76%, respectively. The optimal parameters were a 0.16 mm layer thickness, flat build orientation, 30°/−60° raster angle, and 200 °C extrusion temperature, resulting in predicted UTS and elastic modulus values with error percentages of 4.33% and 2.74%, respectively, compared to experimental values. The regression model demonstrated high predictive accuracy, with R-squared values of 99.71% for the UTS and 99.52% for the elastic modulus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Application of Additive Manufacturing: 3rd Edition)
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Review

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19 pages, 6167 KiB  
Review
Additive Manufacturing and Influencing Factors of Lattice Structures: A Review
by Jinlin Yang, Hui Liu, Gaoshen Cai and Haozhe Jin
Materials 2025, 18(7), 1397; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18071397 - 21 Mar 2025
Viewed by 630
Abstract
Lattice structures have the characteristics of light weight, excellent heat dissipation and mechanical properties. Because of excellent properties, lattice structures have been widely used in aerospace, automobile manufacturing, biomedical and other fields. At present, additive manufacturing is the mainstream method for manufacturing lattice [...] Read more.
Lattice structures have the characteristics of light weight, excellent heat dissipation and mechanical properties. Because of excellent properties, lattice structures have been widely used in aerospace, automobile manufacturing, biomedical and other fields. At present, additive manufacturing is the mainstream method for manufacturing lattice structures. This study reviews the existing literature on additive manufacturing of lattice structures, introduces manufacturing methods, and summarizes the influencing factors of forming quality. In addition, the topology optimization of the unit cell and the gradient design of the lattice structure are discussed, and the future research direction of the lattice structure is proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Application of Additive Manufacturing: 3rd Edition)
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32 pages, 4781 KiB  
Review
Harnessing the Potential of Natural Composites in Biomedical 3D Printing
by Farah Syazwani Shahar, Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan, Rafał Grzejda, Andrzej Łukaszewicz, Zbigniew Oksiuta and Renga Rao Krishnamoorthy
Materials 2024, 17(24), 6045; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17246045 - 10 Dec 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1287
Abstract
Natural composites are emerging as promising alternative materials for 3D printing in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, sustainability, and unique mechanical properties. The use of natural composites offers several advantages, including reduced environmental impact, enhanced biodegradability, and improved tissue compatibility. These materials [...] Read more.
Natural composites are emerging as promising alternative materials for 3D printing in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, sustainability, and unique mechanical properties. The use of natural composites offers several advantages, including reduced environmental impact, enhanced biodegradability, and improved tissue compatibility. These materials can be processed into filaments or resins suitable for various 3D printing techniques, such as fused deposition modeling (FDM). Natural composites also exhibit inherent antibacterial properties, making them particularly suitable for applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, and biomedical implants. This review explores the potential of utilizing natural composites in additive manufacturing for biomedical purposes, discussing the historical development of 3D printing techniques; the types of manufacturing methods; and the optimization of material compatibility, printability, and mechanical properties to fully realize the potential of using natural fibers in 3D printing for biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Application of Additive Manufacturing: 3rd Edition)
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