Reprising Materials Science in the Additive Manufacturing Classroom

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Using an extended text in an upper-level science course is not a revolutionary idea. For example, many advanced biology teachers have been teaching Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2010), a book examining ethical issues in medical research. Indeed, a diverse selection of science nonfiction texts is suitable for a high school course, ranging from Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma (2007) to Deborah Blum's The Poisoner's Handbook (2010). Introducing a novel or nonfiction book into the curriculum can reward both teacher and student, offering deep immersion into science content, but may seem daunting to many teachers, especially with little training in literacy instruction. Nevertheless, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013) and Common Core State Standards (NGAC and CCSSO 2010) emphasize teaching of informational texts in content-based courses (see box, p. 31). This article offers strategies for teaching extended texts in the science classroom. Part 1: Before reading Choosing a text An extended text must lend itself to course goals and inspire relevant discussion (Calmer and Straits 2014). Consider, as an example, the book Zoo Story by Thomas French (2010). The author draws on six years of work experience at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa to address zoos' responsibilities to animals, employees, and patrons. Describing the lives of specific animals, French blends his scientific understanding of animal behavior, ecosystem and population dynamics, and biodiversity with an empathic portrayal of lives and relationships, echoing unifying themes appropriate for a course on general biology or zoology. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] French unravels the depth and complexity of a modern zoo as a journalist, not a scientist. He approaches scientific subject matter with a style of writing that is accessible to a general reader, useful for students preparing to become scientifically literate citizens. Fisher and Frey (2012) define worthy texts as those that allow readers to reflect on themselves and their actions; invite them in the worlds of others; understand the biological, social, or physical world; or solve problems that are timely and important. Zoo Story fits these criteria by allowing readers to reflect on the various dimensions of zoos, including their history as institutions, their intentions to conserve biological diversity, and the ethical and social problems they pose. Each student should have access to a copy of an extended text (Calmer and Straits 2014), which can be expensive. My school district opted to buy a classroom set of Zoo Story books for my zoology course instead of a traditional textbook. Some students bought their own copies. Used copies can be relatively inexpensive, and reading assignments can be staggered so the class can get by on fewer copies, rather than the entire class reading simultaneously. Introducing the text I introduce the text at the start of the course, months before it is assigned, in part to address misconceptions about zoology. Many students expect a zoo-ology course to focus on zoo animals. I explain that the course name is derived from the Greek zoia (animals) and encompasses the entire animal kingdom. We won't address charismatic megafauna until later in the course, looking first at the major invertebrate phyla, as is traditional for zoology curricula. Introducing Zoo Story early on offers the promise of in-depth discussion of elephants, tigers, and chimpanzees later on. When it's time to assign the text, I reintroduce it by showing ecologist Carl Safina's 2015 TED Talk (see On the web). His provocative and controversial central question, What are animals thinking and feeling? leads to the driving question central to Zoo Story: What are humans' responsibilities to protect animal species? After viewing the TED video, students discuss their own interactions with domestic animals, native wild fauna, and captive animals. …

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Additive manufacturing (AM or 3D printing) holds the potential to revolutionize the ceramic industry by offering fresh avenues for manufacturing complicated ceramic components directly from digital models without the need for costly tooling. This advancement can lead to decreased production costs and lead times, while also enhancing design flexibility and tolerance for imperfections. Thus, there is an increasing interest in utilizing AM techniques to produce advanced ceramic components and explore their wide-ranging applications. This special issue consists of several articles from renowned groups worldwide, presenting their insights and recent progress in AM of advanced ceramic materials and applications. These articles discuss advances across various topics including novel materials, innovative techniques, and emerging applications, which broaden the understanding of the capabilities, challenges, future perspectives and implementation of AM of advanced ceramic materials. The collections in this special issue have attracted review and research articles addressing diverse aspects of the AM-fabricated advanced ceramic materials and applications. Fiume et al. (fmats.2023.1242480) discussed the vat-photopolymerization of ceramic materials and explored the state-of-the-art of the applications in advanced multidisciplinary fields including biomedicine, energy, environment, space and aerospace, with a special focus on current trends and project-specific requirements. Pan et al. (fmats.2020.00054) formed high-resolution, defect-free alumina ceramics using stereolithography-based 3D printing technology, which provides a rapid and cost-effective manner to produce ceramic cores used in astronautics engineering and material engineering fields related to high-temperature environments. Yan et al. (fmats.2023.1239692) introduced a hybrid approach methodology that combines experimental rheology with Finite Element simulations to determine the printability of ceramic-polymer ink formulations which aids in optimizing low-temperature extrusion 3D printing of novel inks for bone tissue engineering. Heise et al. (2024.1441812) presented the design and use of an inline mid-infrared optical coherence tomography (MIR-OCT) system combined with deep learning for classification and in-process feedback as a versatile tool for at-line and inline quality control in lithography-based ceramic manufacturing. This special issue has a strong focus on AM-fabricated advanced ceramic materials and their applications. The exceptional dimensional/chemical stability over a wide temperature range, along with high corrosion resistance and lower density in comparison to metal-based components, have made ceramic materials highly intriguing for space and aerospace applications, thus have becoming a fascinating research area. Fiume et al. (fmats.2023.1242480) summarized relevant outcomes and final considerations of various classes of AM-fabricated advanced ceramics used in space and aerospace industry, including both oxide- and non-oxide ceramics and ceramic composites. Pan et al. (fmats.2020.00054) discussed the influence of high-temperature sintering conditions on microstructure and properties of 3D-printed alumina ceramics and obtained high-performance intricate alumina ceramic cores essential for crafting high-temperature hollow turbine blades. Tissue engineering applications are another subfield where AM of bioceramics finds tremendous potential. Fiume et al. (fmats.2023.1242480) highlighted how the scientific community is devoting considerable efforts to the transfer of stereolithography-based 3D printing technology of bioceramic materials into clinical practice in various fields of application, such as orthopedics and dentistry. Yan et al. (fmats.2023.1239692) established a framework for streamlining the design of inks for extrusion 3D printing of ceramic-polymer scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. They evaluated the compressive properties of printed hydroxyapatite-polycaprolactone scaffolds and characterized the effects of ceramic content and component ratio ratio on the hyperelasticity observed in response to compressive deformations.In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most active subfields of AM. This is also reflected in AM of advanced ceramic materials. AI has been suggested in AM of ceramics for classification between accurately 3D-printed and ceramics specimens with failures at the micron scale. Specifically, deep learning methods involving convolutional neural networks or residual neural networks that have enabled easy training and model generation for image data are chosen. Deep learning plays a crucial role in advancing AM by enabling more efficient processes, better quality control, and innovative material and design solutions. Heise et al. (2024.1441812) highlighted the potential of MIR-OCT coupled with AI-based identification methods for inline process monitoring and quality control in additive ceramic manufacturing machinery. They integrated the OCT measurement head in a 3D ceramic printer that enables direct layer growth monitoring, geometry verification, and real-time defect development monitoring, providing immediate user alerts when misprints are produced. Such monitoring enhances production efficiency by promptly detecting potential defects, reducing the time and cost commitments, and minimizing resource consumption.As mentioned earlier, AM of advanced ceramic materials and its applications constitute a vibrant and rapidly evolving field. While the contents of this special issue may encompass just a fraction of the outstanding research efforts in progress, our aspiration is to offer fellow researchers a glimpse into the dynamic and swiftly evolving landscape of this field.

Recently, there has been great interest in using additive manufacturing (AM) to produce spare parts: allowing to produce spare parts with short lead times and close to the point of use, AM reduces the need for large inventories otherwise required by conventional manufacturing (CM) techniques to deal with intermittent spare parts demand. However, using AM to produce spare parts is limited by two main drawbacks: high production costs and uncertain failure rates arising from AM still being a relatively new production technique. While the former can be counterbalanced by inventory cost reductions, it is unclear how the latter impacts the sourcing option decision (i.e. AM or CM). We aim to fill this gap by studying a periodic review model in which spare parts demands follow a Poisson process. To make our analysis accurate and reliable, we leverage a material science approach to obtain realistic values for the failure rate uncertainties. From the results, it emerges that AM is heavily penalized by failure rate uncertainties much higher than those of CM. Consequently, we then focus on some recent tools developed to reduce AM failure rate uncertainties: porosity assessment and in-situ monitoring. We find that the failure rate uncertainty should be reduced by five and six percentage points to make it worthwhile to invest in porosity assessment and in-situ monitoring, respectively. Finally, we determine under which circumstances each tool is preferred over the other and found that porosity assessment is typically the most competitive uncertainty reduction tool.

PrefaceThis year, we celebrate an anniversary: the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering (Institut für Werkstoffwissenschaft und Werkstofftechnik, IWW) of Chemnitz University of Technology hosts the traditional scientific meeting, the Chemnitz Seminar on Materials Engineering – Werkstofftechnisches Kolloquium – for the 20th time.We always strive to bring together scientists and engineers both from academia and industry, and this is again reflected by this year’s different scientific sessions that cover various relevant topics, such as electroplating, composite materials, developments in steels, additive manufacturing and many more. Part of our scientific program is a special colloquium that marks the successful completion of the Collaborative Research Center SFB 692, which was launched in Chemnitz 12 years ago and has now reached the end of its regular funding period.Like in the last years, we chose the IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering to provide all contributors with the opportunity to publish their papers in an international, peer-reviewed journal. This is understood and appreciated by nearly all participants of our meeting, and therefore this volume provides an excellent overview of the main topics of our Seminar.Chemnitz, April 2018Prof. Thomas Lampke Prof. Guntram Wagner Prof. Martin F.-X. Wagner

The unique design freedom offered by additive manufacturing (AM) technologies enables engineers to develop more innovative products with relatively lower costs within a shorter period of processing time in comparison with conventional manufacturing methods. On the other hand, the unique capabilities of AM have created a platform for researchers to combine several engineering methods with the new manufacturing technique to grow industrial applications as well as resolve the existing issues with AM processes. Understanding the research values that AM offers academic environments, this paper performs a systematic survey on AM-related research topics in the fields of mechanical engineering and materials science that have attracted much attention from research teams over the last few years. These topics, namely process modelling in AM, innovative research in AM, generative design by AM, material characterisation in AM processes, and finally, design for additive manufacturing (DfAM), are notably investigated through this study.

Additive Manufacturing (AM), widely known as 3D printing, has evolved from a prototyping tool to a transformative technology impacting aerospace, automotive, construction, and consumer goods industries. This review explores recent advancements in AM materials, processes, and applications that enhance its functionality and support sustainable manufacturing. Key innovations include high-performance composites such as carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, nanomaterials like graphene-based inks, and biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA). In addition, the integration of multi-material and hybrid printing has expanded AM’s applicability in precision manufacturing. These developments enable AM to meet stringent requirements across critical industries, improving customization, production efficiency, and environmental impact. Despite its potential, AM faces challenges related to material durability, process consistency, standardization, scalability, and energy consumption. Addressing these issues demands ongoing research in advanced materials, process optimization, and sustainable practices, with an emphasis on integrating AM into Industry 4.0 and distributed manufacturing. This study concludes by identifying future research directions focused on AM’s role in driving mass customization, circular economy practices, and industrial-scale applications, establishing it as a foundational technology in modern manufacturing.

Due to the main peculiarities of spare parts, i.e. intermittent demands, long procurement lead times and high downtime costs when the parts are not available on time, it is often difficult to find the optimal inventory level. Recently, Additive Manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a promising technique to improve spare parts inventory management thanks to a ‘print on demand’ approach.So far, however, the impact of AM on spare parts inventory management has been little considered, and it is not yet clear when the use of AM for spare parts inventory management would provide benefits over Conventional Manufacturing (CM) techniques.With this paper we thus aim to contribute to the field of AM spare parts inventory management by developing decision trees that can be of support to managers and practitioners.To this aim, we considered a Poisson-based inventory management system and we carried out a parametrical analysis considering different part sizes and complexity, backorder costs and part consumption. Moreover, we evaluated scenarios where the order-up-to level is limited to resemble applications with a limited storage capacity.For the first time, the analysis was not limited to just one AM and one CM technique, but several AM and CM techniques were considered, also combined with different post-process treatments, for a total of nine different sourcing alternatives. In addition, the economic and technical performance of the different sourcing options were obtained thanks to an interdisciplinary approach, where experts from production economics and material science were brought together.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a transformative approach for advancing thermal management technologies, providing unprecedented freedom in design, material customization, and the implementation of novel thermal control strategies. This review presents a comprehensive overview of recent progress in AM-enabled thermal management, with an emphasis on enhancements in conductive, convective, boiling, and radiative heat transfer. AM facilitates the fabrication of complex architectures and composite materials with tailored thermal conductivities, substantially improving heat dissipation in diverse applications, including electronics, automotive systems, aerospace structures, and building technologies. Notably, recent developments in thermal metamaterials—such as structures capable of thermal cloaking and directional heat conduction—highlight the considerable potential of AM for manipulating complex thermal fields. Furthermore, the integration of phase change materials within AM-fabricated structures offers improved energy storage capacity and efficient thermal regulation. Future research should focus on the development of advanced composite materials, the integration of artificial intelligence for design optimization, the exploration of multifunctional metamaterials, and the advancement of sustainable and scalable AM processes. Hybrid and multimaterial AM techniques are particularly promising, enabling the fabrication of complex, functionally graded structures with precisely tailored thermal and mechanical properties. Addressing critical challenges—including structural integrity, microstructural control, material scalability, cost-effective production, and environmental sustainability—will further strengthen the role of AM in thermal management. In addition, the continued incorporation of high-fidelity computational simulations and real-time monitoring into AM workflows is expected to enhance process reliability and reproducibility. Expanding the range of AM applications to encompass lightweight and optically transparent polymer-based devices could unlock new avenues for thermal management in sensitive electronic and photonic systems.

Chapter 1 - Overview of additive manufacturing technology and materials

Additive manufacturing (AM) has different dimensions with high potential, apart from the well-known ability to produce complex parts with great feasibility, minimum material, and without the need of expensive dies, among other advantages. Social, Environmental, Health, and Teaching and Learning are some examples of dimensions where AM can serve as an engine to promote economic changes, with special focus in depopulated areas. The “Teaching and Learning” dimension is key to promote global changes. There are two main approaches to incorporating additive manufacturing technologies into teaching and learning processes: active and passive integration of 3D printing. In this work, both approaches are considered through the example of some experiences in subjects of different disciplines such as manufacturing processes engineering and materials science. From the active approach, that is, acquiring knowledge and developing skills on AM techniques, the application of AM to generate crystal lattices of the inner structure of materials and the fabrication of patterns in foundry processes are presented as examples. Through these examples students develop skills related to design for additive manufacturing, selection of suitable materials and printing parameters, and postprocessing tasks. Form the passive approach, that is, the use of these technologies to support the learning process in technical subjects, three examples are shown: Bravais crystal lattices spatial configuration, design of foundry processes, and mechanical behavior of auxetic structures. These examples are useful to help our undergraduates understanding basic concepts that require spatial vision, as is the case of crystal lattices, improve foundry processes through the design of patterns, core boxes and casting distribution systems, and approaching to mechanical behavior of advanced materials, such as auxetic structures. This work aims to disseminate the potential of AM dimensions, such as Learning and Teaching, to boost fields of innovation.

Defect‐induced fatigue scattering and assessment of additively manufactured 300M-AerMet100 steel: An investigation based on experiments and machine learning

Additive manufacturing (AM) with high-performance polymers (HPPs) represents simultaneously one of the most desirable and challenging feats in the AM arena. The very properties that make HPPs so attractive in a broad range of applications also make them nearly impossible to process using common AM equipment. Furthermore, when AM is achieved, it often brings the caveat of compromised mechanical properties of the final parts, in comparison with those made via injection molding. The demand to have advanced fabrication methods, rapid prototyping, and customization of parts while maintaining high performance in the finished products has inspired creative innovations that integrate chemical synthesis, materials science, mechanical engineering, and other fields into a multidisciplinary approach to advance AM with the seemingly "unprintable" HPPs. In this Viewpoint, we summarize several standout developments in the area and offer our perspective on future directions and challenges.

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is one of the most common additive manufacturing (AM) technologies for thermoplastic materials. With the development of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) filament for FDM, AM parts with improved strength and functionality can be realized. CFRP is anisotropic material and its mechanical properties have been well studied, however, AM printing strategy for CFRP parts has not been developed. This paper proposes a systematic optimization of the FDM 3D printing process for CFRP. Starting with standard coupon specimen tests to obtain mechanical properties of CFRP, finite element analyses (FEA) were conducted to find principal directions of the AM part and utilized to determine fiber orientations. A specific tool-path algorithm has been developed to distribute fibers with the desired orientations. To predict/assess the mechanical behavior of the AM part, the 3D printing process was simulated to obtain the anisotropic mechanical behavior induced by the customized tool-path printing. Bolt hole plate and spur gear were selected as case studies. FE simulations and associated experiments were conducted to assess their performance. CFRP parts printed by the optimized tool-path shows about 8% higher stiffness than those printed at regular infill patterns. In summary, assisted by FEA, a customized 3D printing tool-path for CFRP has been developed with case studies to verify the proposed AM design optimization methodology for FDM.

The additive manufacturing technology of metal components is an advanced technology in the field of mechanical engineering and material science. Laser selective melting (SLM) is one of the most widely used methods in additive manufacturing. The temperature field of SLM process is the key factor to determine the quality of additive, so it has important research value. In this paper, the influence of laser power and additive speed on the temperature field of aluminum alloy additive manufacturing is studied by CFD numerical simulation technology. The results show that the CFD model can well simulate the SLM process. The additive temperature decreases with the increase of additive speed and increases with the increase of laser power. By adjusting the additive manufacturing parameters, the quality of additive manufacturing can be corrected and improved.