International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing

Special Issue on ‘Multi-material Additive Manufacturing’

Guest Editors

Leading Guest Editor: Prof. Lin LI

The University of Manchester, UK

Email: lin.li@manchester.ac.uk

Co-Guest Editor: Prof. Paulo Jorge Da Silva BARTOLO

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Email: pbartolo@ntu.edu.sg

Co-Guest Editor: Prof. Milan BRANDT

RMIT University, Australia

Email: milan.brandt@rmit.edu.au

Co-Guest Editor: Prof. Dongdong GU

Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics,China

Email: dongdonggu@nuaa.edu.cn

Co-Guest Editor: Prof. Chao WEI

Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, CAS

Email: weichao@nimte.ac.cn

Introduction

Multi-material additive manufacturing （MM-AM）is a relatively new technology for realizing material-function integration and customizing of local performance of additively-manufactured components through the combination of dissimilar materials with various properties and on-demand control of spatial material distribution. It will provide new manufacturing freedoms for new concept designs of products serving in harsh or extreme environments.

Compared with commonly used single-material additive manufacturing, the MM-AM process is more complex, involving multiple material feeding, avoidance of interfacial defects and harmful phases, and matching extremely diverse thermal/mechanical properties. Although recent progress in MM-AM technologies (e.g., MM-AM based on laser powder bed fusion) demonstrated process feasibility and future potential of MM-AM, it is still in its infancy. There are many scientific issues and engineering challenges that need to be overcome before actual industrial applications can take place.

The purpose of this special issue is to provide an opportunity for researchers and engineers to report the cutting-edge research progress and future trends of MM-AM, with a special focus on material-domain research, theoretical approaches, applications, and new technologies of MM-AM.

The scope of this special issue includes but is not limited to the following: