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Symmetry
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Symmetry/Asymmetry in Smart Manufacturing
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Symmetry/Asymmetry in Smart Manufacturing

A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Engineering and Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 2079

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Mijodrag Milošević

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Guest Editor
Department of Production Engineering, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Interests: process planning; CAD/CAPP/CAM systems; smart manufacturing; Industry 4.0; digital twin; cloud manufacturing; optimization algorithms; smart maintenance; collaborative engineering
Prof. Dr. Dejan Lukić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Production Engineering, Faculty of Technical Science, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Interests: process planning; CAD/CAPP/CAM systems; lean manufacturing; manufacturing optimization; optimization algorithms; smart manufacturing; Industry 4.0
Prof. Dr. Stevo Borojević

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Banja Luka, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Interests: process planning and optimization; CAD/CAPP/CAM systems; smart maintenance; Industry 4.0; standardization and industrial legislation; CNC programming

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to participate in this Special Issue and to present your research results, scientific achievements and innovations. Symmetry in production is a synonym for efficiency and predictability, while asymmetry is an indicator of flexibility, adaptability and innovative solutions in modern production conditions that have a hyper-dynamic character. Smart manufacturing is a modern concept of computer-integrated manufacturing that uses digitalization, networking and artificial intelligence to monitor and optimize the manufacturing process. Industry 4.0 technologies and AI methods are used in intelligent manufacturing solutions to improve engineering activities and processes as well as to predict errors. Smart manufacturing represents the integration of symmetry through standardized, balanced and controlled processes, and asymmetry related to flexible manufacturing systems, adaptive automation and personalization to customer/client requirements.

The aim of this Special Issue is to showcase the importance of the application of new digital technologies and smart services in modern industry and manufacturing in order to provide companies with the opportunity to automate and improve their manufacturing processes. With the introduction of these technologies, production and manufacturing systems become reconfigurable in order to adapt manufacturing capacities and functionality as quickly as possible to specific market requirements.

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • Design, networking and exploitation of reconfigurable manufacturing systems through dynamic engineering and business processes for the purpose of profitable personalized production;
  • Implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies in the automation and innovation of the manufacturing process as well as in the horizontal and vertical integration of flexible manufacturing and business system modules;
  • Application of smart engineering tools based on AI methods: machine learning, deep learning and metaheuristic algorithms, bio-inspired methods, etc.;
  • Intelligent optimization in process planning and production management using the lean manufacturing concept, optimization algorithms and digital twin technology;
  • Monitoring and analysis of data from the manufacturing process for smart maintenance and adaptive automation of operations in order to improve manufacturing.

We look forward to your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Mijodrag Milošević
Prof. Dr. Dejan Lukić
Prof. Dr. Stevo Borojević
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. Symmetry 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 2400 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

  • smart factory and smart manufacturing
  • Industry 4.0 technologies
  • intelligent process planning
  • condition monitoring
  • smart maintenance
  • lean manufacturing
  • optimization algorithms
  • digital twin
  • cloud manufacturing
  • machine learning and deep learning

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1773 KB  
Article
Load-Independent Hardness in Fe76Mo2Ga2P10 Metallic Glass Matrix Composites
by Danijela Radumilo, Milan Pecanac, Srdjan Rakic, Dragos Buzdugan, Viorel Aurel Serban, Milos Knezev and Sebastian Balos
Symmetry 2026, 18(5), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym18050796 - 6 May 2026
Viewed by 217
Abstract
Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) exhibit high strength and hardness due to their amorphous atomic structure; however, their wider application is often limited by intrinsic brittleness and localized shear deformation. Metallic glass matrix composites (MGMCs) represent an effective approach to overcome these limitations by [...] Read more.
Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) exhibit high strength and hardness due to their amorphous atomic structure; however, their wider application is often limited by intrinsic brittleness and localized shear deformation. Metallic glass matrix composites (MGMCs) represent an effective approach to overcome these limitations by introducing crystalline phases into the amorphous matrix, thereby improving mechanical stability and deformation behavior. In this study, an Fe-based MGMC was produced by copper mold casting and its micro-structure and mechanical properties were investigated. Microstructural observations revealed a heterogeneous structure consisting of an amorphous matrix with dispersed crystalline phases, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction showing a broad amorphous halo with superimposed crystalline peaks. The mechanical response was evaluated using Vickers microhardness measurements under different indentation loads, revealing a pronounced indentation size effect (ISE), where hardness decreases with increasing load and stabilizes at higher loads. The load–indentation relationship follows Meyer’s law with the empirical relation P=0.663d1.9245 and an excellent correlation coefficient (R2=0.9996). The Meyer index n<2 confirms normal ISE behavior. The indentation data were further analyzed using proportional specimen resistance (PSR) and modified PSR models, enabling estimation of the load-independent hardness and providing insight into the deformation behavior of the composite material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Symmetry/Asymmetry in Smart Manufacturing)
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41 pages, 11247 KB  
Article
Research on Microgrid Dispatch Management Method Based on Improved Enterprise Development Optimization Algorithm
by Younan Ke, Chenglin Zhuo and Xianmeng Zhao
Symmetry 2026, 18(4), 601; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym18040601 - 1 Apr 2026
Viewed by 403
Abstract
Metaheuristic optimization algorithms often suffer from structural imbalance between exploration and exploitation, leading to premature convergence and performance degradation in high-dimensional or constrained problems. To address this issue, a symmetry-enhanced Improved Enterprise Development Optimization Algorithm (IEDOA) is proposed. The algorithm establishes a dynamic [...] Read more.
Metaheuristic optimization algorithms often suffer from structural imbalance between exploration and exploitation, leading to premature convergence and performance degradation in high-dimensional or constrained problems. To address this issue, a symmetry-enhanced Improved Enterprise Development Optimization Algorithm (IEDOA) is proposed. The algorithm establishes a dynamic symmetry between global exploration and local exploitation through three coordinated strategies: a performance-feedback-based adaptive activity selection mechanism, a multi-elite-guided structural evolution strategy, and a lifecycle-aware exploration mechanism inspired by technological scheduling dynamics. The proposed symmetric regulation framework improves population diversity while preserving convergence stability, thereby enhancing search efficiency in complex landscapes. To validate its performance, IEDOA is evaluated on CEC2017 (30/50 dimensions) and CEC2022 (10/20 dimensions) benchmark suites and compared with several advanced metaheuristic algorithms. Experimental results demonstrate superior convergence accuracy, robustness, and scalability. Statistical analyses using the Wilcoxon signed-rank and Friedman tests further confirm its significant performance advantages. To demonstrate practical applicability, IEDOA is applied to a grid-connected microgrid economic dispatch problem involving renewable generation units, controllable generators, and energy storage systems under 24 h operational constraints. Simulation results show that the proposed method achieves lower operational costs and smaller performance variance across independent runs. Overall, IEDOA provides an effective symmetric optimization framework for complex engineering systems characterized by nonlinearity, multi-constraints, and high dimensionality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Symmetry/Asymmetry in Smart Manufacturing)
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21 pages, 3921 KB  
Article
Symmetry-Based Evaluation of Tool Coating Effects on the Machining Behavior of Ti-6Al-4V Using Micro-EDM
by Shailesh Shirguppikar, Vaibhav Ganachari, Marko Vulović, Andreja Stefanović, Pankaj B. Gavali, Nguyen Huu-Phan and Aleksandar Ašonja
Symmetry 2025, 17(11), 1935; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17111935 - 11 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 757
Abstract
Titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V possesses excellent mechanical and corrosion-resistant properties; therefore, it is widely employed in aerospace, automotive, and biomedical fields. However, its poor machinability restricts traditional processing methods. To overcome this limitation, the current work presents a symmetry analysis approach to evaluate the [...] Read more.
Titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V possesses excellent mechanical and corrosion-resistant properties; therefore, it is widely employed in aerospace, automotive, and biomedical fields. However, its poor machinability restricts traditional processing methods. To overcome this limitation, the current work presents a symmetry analysis approach to evaluate the effects of tool coating on the micro-electric discharge machining (micro-EDM) characteristics of Ti-6Al-4V. Tungsten carbide (WC) microelectrodes were fabricated in three forms: uncoated, copper-coated, and carbon-coated. The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method was used to coat the carbon layer, and the integrity of the coating was confirmed by Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy/Analysis (EDS/EDX). The effect of input variables—namely, voltage, capacitance, and spindle rotational speed—on two responses was studied—the machining depth (Z-axis displacement) and tool wear rate (TWR)—using a Taguchi L9 orthogonal array. Analysis conducted using Minitab statistical software 17 revealed that both voltage and capacitance contributed to the response parameters as optimized variables. The comparative study showed that the copper- and carbon-coated WC microtool could obtain a better Z coordinate and lower tool wear ratio compared with those of the uncoated tool. The findings confirm that applying thin conductive coatings to WC tools can significantly improve the stability, precision, and overall symmetry of the micro-EDM process when machining difficult-to-cut titanium alloys. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Symmetry/Asymmetry in Smart Manufacturing)
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