Special Issue: Design for Advanced Manufacturing

Abstract

Design and manufacturing are intimately coupled in the conceptualization and realization of products. Engineering design is regularly a key component of innovation and successful product development, yet promising designs that are very costly or challenging to manufacture may never be realized in practice. Advancement of manufacturing technologies tends to lower barriers to realization and expands design freedom but may also introduce unique restrictions on the design space. A clear example of this connection is the maturation of additive manufacturing technologies, which has created immense design freedom for both researchers and practitioners to explore. New capabilities, such as the ability to fabricate complex shapes, tailor materials and properties, and provide complex functionalities, present a whole new paradigm and a wider range of opportunities for intricately design, highly functional, cost-effective, high-value products. However, additive manufacturing technologies also bring new types of constraints to be carefully considered in design. New design methods and tools are therefore needed to help engineers navigate both the novel design space created by advanced manufacturing and the new manufacturing constraints. This special issue aims to consolidate some of the most recent design research in support of advanced manufacturing.