Design and Microstructure Control of Additively Manufactured Mechanical Metamaterials

Mechanical metamaterials are a class of engineered materials that exhibit extraordinary mechanical properties and functionalities that are not found in conventional materials. They derive their name from the concept of metamaterials, which refers to artificially designed materials with properties that are not readily available in nature.

Recent advancements in Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies have facilitated the fabrication of parts with unparalleled complexity. This breakthrough enables the redesign of lightweight, geometrically intricate components without the restrictions imposed by traditional manufacturing constraints. Particularly, the incorporation of mechanical metamaterials in the design process has garnered significant interest. These materials enable the creation of lightweight structures while maintaining crucial mechanical properties, such as stiffness. This Research Topic aims to explore various aspects of mechanical metamaterials, including their design, the inspiration drawn from natural structures, and their industrial applications.

Digital Manufacturing and the transformation of conventional manufacturing industries have emerged as critical topics of discussion worldwide. Consequently, Industry 4.0 and its pillars, including digital manufacturing utilizing High-Speed AM, have assumed paramount importance. Furthermore, AM and design for AM have become prominent subjects in scientific journals due to their potential to produce optimized, customized, and personalized parts that are lightweight yet retain desirable mechanical properties. These characteristics offer significant advantages across numerous industries.

This Research Topic invites original research, review papers, and short reviews within the field. Submissions encompassing both experimental and simulation-based work are welcome, provided they present novel research findings.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

•  Design, modeling, and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for AM.
•  Mechanical metamaterials design and characterization.
•  Advanced and novel materials characterization.
•  Microstructure control for enhanced properties.
•  Challenges associated with support-free production using AM processes.
•  Quality and performance challenges of AM-processed designs.

We encourage researchers to contribute their innovative work to this Research Topic, as it promises to further our understanding and application of mechanical metamaterials in AM. The ability to design lightweight parts without compromising mechanical properties has profound implications for a wide range of industries.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: Additive Manufacturing, Digital Manufacturing, Rapid Prototyping, FEA, Cellular structures, Material characterization, mechanical metamaterials, design for AM, experimentation, advanced materials, Intelligent manufacturing

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.