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Micromachines
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Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition
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Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "D3: 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 March 2026) | Viewed by 10130

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Haiyang Fan

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Guest Editor
Yantai Research Institute, Harbin Engineering University, Yantai 264000, China
Interests: additive manufacturing; metals and alloys; metal–matrix composite; microstructure and mechanical properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jincheng Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
Interests: additive manufacturing; laser powder bed fusion; sintering; titanium alloys; nickel superalloys; aluminum alloys; corrosion behavior; surface treatment; porous structure; mechanical property; microstructure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Youqing Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
Interests: surface and interface; material chracterization; solid and liquid metals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Manufacturing has always been an industry driven by innovation and technological evolution. In the last four decades, additive manufacturing has revolutionized the manufacturing industry by the rapid prototyping of geometrically complex parts without costly tooling or long lead times. Today, it is fair to say that understanding the future of additive manufacturing is key to getting to grips with the latest trends in manufacturing.

This Special Issue aims to explore the prospects of various additive manufacturing techniques, as well as their innovative applications in aerospace, marine, automobile, healthcare, sustainability, and more. The main focus is on novel techniques and materials for additive manufacturing, microstructure evolution, and the properties of additively manufactured components, process optimization, machine learning assistance, online monitoring and feedback, multi-scale and multi-physics simulations, topology optimization, industrial-scale additive manufacturing, etc. We look forward to receiving your contributions to this Special Issue entitled “Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition” with original research work, review articles, and short communications.

Prof. Dr. Haiyang Fan
Dr. Jincheng Wang
Dr. Youqing Sun
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. Micromachines 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 2100 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

  • dedicated materials for additive manufacturing
  • post-processing technologies
  • topological design for additive manufacturing
  • multi-scale and multi-physics simulations
  • online real-time quality monitoring in additive manufacturing
  • 3D bioprinting
  • hybrid additive manufacturing
  • multi-material additive manufacturing
  • field-assisted additive manufacturing

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

21 pages, 3733 KB  
Article
Investigating the Machining Quality of Additively Manufactured Composite: Multi-Response Modeling and Evolutionary Optimization
by Anastasios Tzotzis, Dumitru Nedelcu, Simona-Nicoleta Mazurchevici and Panagiotis Kyratsis
Micromachines 2026, 17(4), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17040444 - 2 Apr 2026
Viewed by 505
Abstract
This study investigates the turning performance of additive-manufactured polymer-based composite, with particular emphasis on the resulting dimensional error (DE) and surface roughness Ra. Cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut were selected as continuous process variables. Subsequently, regression-based modeling [...] Read more.
This study investigates the turning performance of additive-manufactured polymer-based composite, with particular emphasis on the resulting dimensional error (DE) and surface roughness Ra. Cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut were selected as continuous process variables. Subsequently, regression-based modeling was applied to the experimental data, resulting in predictive models with a coefficient of determination (R2) equal to 96.35% and 92.88% for the DE and Ra, respectively. The analysis indicated that depth of cut and cutting speed accounted for more than 86% of the DE model’s explanatory power, while cutting speed, feed and depth of cut contributed approximately 90% to the Ra model. To further evaluate process performance, the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) was employed to determine the Pareto-optimal solutions that simultaneously minimize the dimensional error and the surface roughness. It was found that the optimal solutions are generated with a cutting speed between 120 m/min and 180 m/min, depth of cut below 0.52 mm and feed ranging from 0.05 mm/rev to 0.10 mm/rev. Finally, additional validation experiments confirmed the reliability of the proposed models, yielding mean absolute prediction errors between the measured and estimated values equal to 3% for the dimensional error and 4.8% for the surface roughness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 2284 KB  
Article
Machine Learning-Enabled Prognostication of Tensile Strength in 316L Stainless Steel Through Additive Manufacturing Processes
by Qing Gao, Congyu Wang, Jiayan Hu, Hongqin Ding, Jiajie Wang, Jie Bai, Haibo Xie, Huayong Yang and Yi Zhu
Micromachines 2026, 17(2), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17020212 - 5 Feb 2026
Viewed by 445
Abstract
The tensile strength of components fabricated through additive manufacturing processes is of paramount importance for their implementation in practical engineering applications. However, the intricacy of the process parameters renders the prediction of tensile strength a formidable challenge. In this scholarly work, a predictive [...] Read more.
The tensile strength of components fabricated through additive manufacturing processes is of paramount importance for their implementation in practical engineering applications. However, the intricacy of the process parameters renders the prediction of tensile strength a formidable challenge. In this scholarly work, a predictive model for the tensile strength of 316L stainless steel components produced via SLM was developed through the synergistic integration of CNN and RF. The model was trained on a dataset comprising 42 datasets and subsequently validated against 12 sets of experimental data. The model’s predictive performance was quantified using MSE and MAE, which were recorded as 0.00295 and 0.0344, respectively. These values represent a reduction of 3.28% and 31.88% when compared to the predictive accuracy achieved by employing CNN in isolation. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient achieved a substantial increase of 74.18%, reaching a value of 0.9576, which is indicative of a high degree of accuracy in the model’s predictive outcomes. With the same sample size, the incorporation of relative density and Vickers hardness as additional input conditions resulted in a reduction in prediction accuracy. The tensile strength prediction model presented herein demonstrates the capability for high-precision prediction even with small datasets, thereby offering a theoretical framework that may guide future endeavors in the prediction of mechanical properties for a broader spectrum of materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 2337 KB  
Article
Micro-Mechanical Properties and Deformation Damage Behavior of the Matrix and Primary Carbides in 8Cr4Mo4V Bearing Steel
by Chenhui Sun, Xubo Fan, Xiaoquan Shi, Junjun Liu, Zhihu Zhang, Bohan Zhang and Haitao Liu
Micromachines 2026, 17(1), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17010113 - 15 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1243
Abstract
8Cr4Mo4V bearing steel is a critical material for main shaft bearings in aero-engine applications. However, the current understanding of the micro-mechanical properties of its matrix and primary carbide phases (vanadium-rich and molybdenum-rich carbides) remains insufficient. This knowledge gap readily induces various forms of [...] Read more.
8Cr4Mo4V bearing steel is a critical material for main shaft bearings in aero-engine applications. However, the current understanding of the micro-mechanical properties of its matrix and primary carbide phases (vanadium-rich and molybdenum-rich carbides) remains insufficient. This knowledge gap readily induces various forms of deformation damage during grinding, severely compromising the surface integrity of the workpiece. To address this, nanoindentation and nano-scratch techniques were employed to systematically quantify the micro-mechanical properties of each phase and investigate the deformation damage behavior of the steel under load. Results showed that MC carbides exhibited the highest elastic modulus and microhardness, which made them more susceptible to becoming crack initiation sites during grinding. Nano-scratch testing further revealed that crack initiation at carbide edges and localized spalling were the primary damage mechanisms. This study provides a micro-mechanical foundation for controlling the grinding surface quality of 8Cr4Mo4V bearing steel, holding significant implications for optimizing grinding processes, suppressing crack initiation, and elucidating the grinding damage mechanism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 5254 KB  
Article
Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructural Evolution, Mechanical Properties, and Degradation Behavior of Zn-3Mg Alloy Fabricated by Laser Additive Manufacturing
by Changjun Han, Zhilang Chen, Hongtian Liu, Cheng Deng, Zhi Dong, Cheng Chen, Jinmiao Huang, Yongqiang Yang and Di Wang
Micromachines 2026, 17(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17010007 - 20 Dec 2025
Viewed by 539
Abstract
The Zn-3Mg alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing is widely used in biomedical implants due to its excellent biocompatibility and favorable mechanical strength. However, its application is hindered by limited ductility and a relatively rapid degradation rate. This study [...] Read more.
The Zn-3Mg alloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing is widely used in biomedical implants due to its excellent biocompatibility and favorable mechanical strength. However, its application is hindered by limited ductility and a relatively rapid degradation rate. This study investigated the influence of annealing heat treatment on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and degradation behavior of LPBF-fabricated Zn-3Mg porous implants. A systematic analysis of various annealing parameters revealed the evolution mechanisms of the microstructure, including grain coarsening and the precipitation and distribution of secondary phases Mg2Zn11 and MgZn2. The results indicated that appropriate annealing conditions (such as 250 °C for 1 h) significantly enhanced the compressive strain by 10%, while maintaining a high compressive strength of 24.72 MPa. In contrast, excessive annealing temperatures (e.g., 365 °C) promoted the formation of continuous brittle phases along grain boundaries, leading to deterioration in mechanical performance. The degradation behavior analysis illustrated a substantial increase in the corrosion rates from 0.6973 mm/year to 1.00165 mm/year after annealing at 250 °C for 0.5 h and 365 °C for 1 h, which can be attributed to the micro-galvanic effect induced by the presence of fine or coarse secondary phases that promoted localized corrosion. This study demonstrated synergistic regulation of mechanical properties and degradation behavior in the Zn-3Mg porous structures through optimized heat treatment, thereby providing essential theoretical and experimental supports for the clinical application of biodegradable zinc-based implants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 7812 KB  
Article
Study on Microstructures and Properties of FeCoNiCuAlSix High-Entropy Alloy Composite Coatings by Laser Cladding
by Xinyu Zhang, Chun Guo, Guangcan Huang, Zheng Peng, Ruizhang Hu, Qingcheng Lin and Tianyuan Lu
Micromachines 2025, 16(11), 1211; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16111211 - 24 Oct 2025
Viewed by 817
Abstract
FeCoNiCuAl high-entropy alloys exhibit remarkable mechanical properties; nevertheless, these materials struggle to withstand harsh environments because of their insufficient resistance to wear and corrosion. The addition of Si can significantly enhance the alloy’s high-temperature performance, hardness, and wear resistance, thereby making it more [...] Read more.
FeCoNiCuAl high-entropy alloys exhibit remarkable mechanical properties; nevertheless, these materials struggle to withstand harsh environments because of their insufficient resistance to wear and corrosion. The addition of Si can significantly enhance the alloy’s high-temperature performance, hardness, and wear resistance, thereby making it more suitable for applications in high-temperature or corrosive environments. To overcome these drawbacks, this research investigates how varying Si content affects the microstructure and properties of FeCoNiCuAl coatings. Composite coatings of FeCoNiCuAlSix (x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0) were fabricated on 65 Mn substrates using laser cladding. Various testing methods, including metallographic microscopy, Vickers hardness testing, friction and wear testing, and electrochemical analysis, were employed to examine the phase structure, microstructure, and hardness of the coating. It is observed that the FeCoNiCuAl coating begins with a uniform FCC phase structure. However, as the Si content increases, a phase transformation to the BCC structure occurs. The microstructure is primarily composed of isometric crystals and dendrites that become finer and more compact with higher Si content. For the FeCoNiCuAlSi2.0 coating, the microhardness reaches 581.05 HV0.2. Additionally, wear resistance shows a positive correlation with Si content. Electrochemical testing in NS4 solution shows that the corrosion potential of the coating increases from −0.471 V for FeCoNiCuAl to −0.344 V for FeCoNiCuAlSi2.0, while the corrosion current density decreases from 1.566 × 10−6 A/cm2 to 4.073 × 10−6 A/cm2. These results indicate that Si addition plays a crucial role in enhancing the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of FeCoNiCuAl coatings, making them more suitable for high-performance applications in extreme environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 7421 KB  
Article
Feasibility Study on Reusing Recycled Premixed Multi-Material Powder in the Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process for Thermal Management Application
by Shiming Gao, Shuo Qu, Junhao Ding, Haoming Mo and Xu Song
Micromachines 2025, 16(10), 1186; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16101186 - 20 Oct 2025
Viewed by 837
Abstract
Large-scale applications of multi-material manufacturing technology face many challenges. One major issue is how to reuse the mixed powder left after printing. In this study, we propose using an effective structure design to compensate for the performance loss of reused materials, thereby achieving [...] Read more.
Large-scale applications of multi-material manufacturing technology face many challenges. One major issue is how to reuse the mixed powder left after printing. In this study, we propose using an effective structure design to compensate for the performance loss of reused materials, thereby achieving the purpose of reusing premixed waste powder in certain non-critical thermal management applications. Taking Cu and Ni premixture powder as an example, some explorations were then conducted on the feasibility of the proposed concept. The morphological inspection confirms that the powder mixture exhibits satisfactory homogeneity, while the Hall flow rate measurements reveal that its flowability is closer to that of pure Ni. The compression tests show that the fabricated Cu-Ni specimens have good energy absorption, whereas tensile tests reveal their favorable ductility. The numerical analysis indicates that the effect of convection heat transfer is much greater than that of conduction heat transfer. Heat transfer experiments show that the Cu-Ni heat exchanger exhibits comparable performance to pure Cu, with a heat transfer effectiveness deviation of less than 1.3%. Previous results indicate that effective structure design can offset the loss of material properties, allowing premixed powders to be utilized in heat exchanger production as a means of recycling waste powders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 6762 KB  
Article
Microstructure and Performance Evolution of Post-Plastic Deformed Austenitic Stainless Steel Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting
by Huimin Tao, Zi Li, Linlin Ma, Yafang Cai, Haiteng Xiu, Mingming Ding and Zeqi Tong
Micromachines 2025, 16(10), 1104; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16101104 - 28 Sep 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 754
Abstract
With the rapid development of additive manufacturing technology, selective laser melting (SLM) of austenitic stainless steel has been widely used. SLM stainless steel will inevitably deform during service, so it is necessary to study the microstructure and macro properties of post-plastic deformed SLM [...] Read more.
With the rapid development of additive manufacturing technology, selective laser melting (SLM) of austenitic stainless steel has been widely used. SLM stainless steel will inevitably deform during service, so it is necessary to study the microstructure and macro properties of post-plastic deformed SLM stainless steel. In this paper, the changes in the microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of SLM304 stainless steel after stretch deformation were studied, and the evolution rules were revealed. The results show that, with an increasing plastic deformation amount, SLM304 stainless steel exhibits grain fragmentation, disordered orientation, and subgrain formation, along with changes in the shape and size of the cellular structure. Additionally, the α’ martensite content inside SLM304 stainless steel rises significantly, while the thickness of the surface passivation film slightly decreases. The analysis shows that the combined effect of the complex microstructure makes the nanohardness of SLM304 stainless steel increase with the increase in the stretch deformation amount while its corrosion resistance deteriorates. Therefore, moderate post-plastic deformation can enable SLM stainless steel to balance excellent mechanical and corrosion properties. This study can not only provide a theoretical reference for the performance optimization of additive manufacturing steel but also provide value for the engineering application of additive manufacturing technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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21 pages, 12375 KB  
Review
Research Progress of Acoustic Monitoring Technology in Welding and Additive Manufacturing Processes
by Qiang Zhu, Zaile Huang and Huan Li
Micromachines 2026, 17(2), 246; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17020246 - 13 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1568
Abstract
Continuous innovations in welding and additive manufacturing (AM) technologies have introduced challenges related to process stability and uncertainties in ensuring high quality. Given the high complexity and transient nature of these processes, effective online acoustic monitoring is crucial for ensuring manufacturing quality and [...] Read more.
Continuous innovations in welding and additive manufacturing (AM) technologies have introduced challenges related to process stability and uncertainties in ensuring high quality. Given the high complexity and transient nature of these processes, effective online acoustic monitoring is crucial for ensuring manufacturing quality and improving processing efficiency. This paper first elucidates the principles of acoustic signal generation in welding and additive manufacturing. It then provides a comprehensive review of the application of acoustic methods for quality monitoring in these processes, covering both structural acoustic emission (AE) and airborne acoustic monitoring techniques. Finally, it summarizes the current challenges and issues faced by acoustic monitoring technologies in welding and additive manufacturing and outlines potential future development directions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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26 pages, 6484 KB  
Review
Research Progress of Additively Manufactured Metallic Lattice Structures
by Chenchen Tian, Yongjian Wang, Haiyang Fan and Xuekun Li
Micromachines 2025, 16(12), 1418; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16121418 - 17 Dec 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1560
Abstract
Metallic lattice structures have emerged as a crucial carrier for structure–function integration, owing to their exceptional mechanical properties, energy absorption performance, thermal properties and biocompatibility. Due to the layer-by-layer deposition principle, additive manufacturing enables the precise digital fabrication of complex metallic lattice structures, [...] Read more.
Metallic lattice structures have emerged as a crucial carrier for structure–function integration, owing to their exceptional mechanical properties, energy absorption performance, thermal properties and biocompatibility. Due to the layer-by-layer deposition principle, additive manufacturing enables the precise digital fabrication of complex metallic lattice structures, breaking through the limitations of traditional manufacturing processes. This paper systematically reviews the research progress of additively manufactured metallic lattice structures. First, it categorizes and elaborates on the design methods of typical lattice structures. Second, it compares the core additive manufacturing processes in forming precision and efficiency for metallic lattice structure. Third, it summarizes the application advantages and practical cases of metallic lattice structures in mechanical properties, energy absorption performance, thermal properties, and biocompatibility. Finally, the paper proposes current challenges and prospects the development directions for enhancing the performance of additively manufactured metallic lattice structures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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29 pages, 4627 KB  
Review
Research Status of Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Metallic Ultrasonic Welding
by Yu Hu and Huan Li
Micromachines 2025, 16(10), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16101185 - 20 Oct 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1185
Abstract
This study provides a comprehensive review of ultrasonic welding research in molecular dynamics simulations, encompassing the latest advancements by scholars worldwide. Compared to traditional welding methods, ultrasonic welding offers advantages such as faster processing speed, higher mechanical strength, and environmentally friendly characteristics. However, [...] Read more.
This study provides a comprehensive review of ultrasonic welding research in molecular dynamics simulations, encompassing the latest advancements by scholars worldwide. Compared to traditional welding methods, ultrasonic welding offers advantages such as faster processing speed, higher mechanical strength, and environmentally friendly characteristics. However, its process parameters are subject to multiple influencing factors. Molecular dynamics simulations enable the detailed visualization of material interactions and structural changes at atomic/molecular levels during ultrasonic welding. These simulations not only predict how different process parameters affect weld quality but also facilitate the rapid identification of viable solutions, thereby reducing experimental iterations and lowering R&D costs. This review delves into the core theoretical issues pertaining to ultrasonic welding, providing robust support for practical applications. Additionally, specific optimization strategies are proposed to enhance welding performance and efficiency, promoting sustainable development in related industries. Future research could focus on exploring ultrasonic welding mechanisms under complex structures and multi-component systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future Prospects of Additive Manufacturing, 2nd Edition)
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