Metal Additive Manufacturing: Technologies, Materials, Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of 3D Printed Components

Dear Colleagues,

The present Special Issue of Metals, entitled “Metal Additive Manufacturing: Technologies, Materials, Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Components” focuses on additive manufacturing techniques for metallic materials, as well as the effect of process parameters of microstructural and mechanical properties of 3D-printed parts and post-processing techniques.

In recent years, the industrial evolution in the manufacturing sector, resulting from Industry 4.0, is characterized by an increasing use of new production processes based on an additive approach known as additive manufacturing or 3D printing technologies. Such technologies represent new ways of designing components according to the philosophy of "only put the material it needs". Additive manufacturing offers many advantages, such as the manufacturing of components with complex shapes, as well as lightweight lattice structures, that could not be achieved using traditional manufacturing technologies; non-use of equipment; high customization; less material waste; reduced machining time; and shorter time-to-market.

The 3D-printed components in metallic materials represent a significant and growing portion of additively manufactured parts in increasingly diverse fields such as the medical, aerospace and automotive industries. There are different technologies used in metal additive manufacturing available today, classified by the energy source, the way the material is joined or the feedstock state. Depending on the additive manufacturing technology, feedstock quality, process parameters, etc., the micro- and macro-mechanical properties of 3D-printed parts can be affected.

The present Special Issue aims to collect contributions on the additive manufacturing techniques for metallic materials, the effect of process parameters on the microstructural and mechanical properties of 3D-printed parts and post-processing techniques. Review articles and short communications are also of interest for this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Michela Simoncini
Guest Editor

Tommaso Mancia
Guest Editor Assistant

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