Intelligent and Sustainable Manufacturing

Guide for Authors Submit to ISM

Intelligent Utilization of Heat Sources for Deposition Strategies in Welding, Cladding, and Additive Manufacturing Processes

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026.

Guest Editors (2)

Ghulam Hussain
Prof. Dr. Ghulam Hussain 
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Bahrain, Isa Town 32038, Bahrain
Interests: Additive Manufacturing; Incremental Forming; Deformation Machining;  Friction Stir Welding
Website: https://engineering.uob.edu.bh/faculty/faculty-profile/?faculty=prof-ghulam-hussain
Muhammad Muzamil
Dr. Muhammad Muzamil 
Email: muzamil@neduet.edu.pk
Department of Mechanical Engineering, NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi 75270, Pakistan 
Interests: Material; Mechanical; Manufacturing
Website: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Muhammad_Muzamil9/research

Special Issue Information

In the manufacturing industry, Welding is a universally indispensable process for forming strong joints in both linear and complex geometries, with heat source selection being crucial for effective filler-base bonding. Additive Manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is a key Industry 4.0 technology that builds 3D components layer by layer from digital models. AM enables printing of metals, ceramics, and polymers with flexible, customizable, and resource-efficient production.

Welding and Metal-based AM processes use various heat sources: electric arc, plasma arc, laser beam, electron beam, and oxy-fuel sources to join or deposit materials. High-intensity energy inputs enable precise melting of powders or wires for a range of alloys, including aluminum, copper, steel, nickel, titanium, magnesium, and smart materials.

Among the main AM techniques, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) melts thermoplastics using heat, while vat photopolymerization cures liquid resins with UV or other light sources. While in metallic AM, Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) uses high-energy sources like lasers or electron beams to selectively fuse fine metal powders. Its variant, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), also known as Selective Laser Melting (SLM), is widely adopted for producing metallic parts. Direct Energy Deposition (DED) employs similar high-energy sources and also incorporates low-cost electric arc welding methods such as GTAW, GMAW, CMT, and PAW, giving rise to Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM).

This special issue invites technical and review papers on innovations, advancements, hybrid techniques, and key challenges in welding and additive manufacturing. Topics include deposition-related issues, geometrical behavior, mechanical performance, microstructural changes, key applications, and the development of low-cost AM processes using readily available resources.

Topics include, but are not limited to:
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
Electric Arc Welding
Laser Melting / Selective Laser Melting (SLM) /LPBF
Wire arc additive manufacturing
Surface Modification and Wear Testing
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties
Multi-Material Depositions
Deposition of functionally graded materials
Aluminum and Magnesium Alloys
Hybrid manufacturing process for welding and additive manufacturing
Post-processing and heat treatments

Published Papers (2 Papers)

Open Access

Article

25 November 2025

Dissimilar Joining of 316L and A131 Steel by Shield Metal Arc and Tungsten Inert Gas Welding to Evaluate Bending and Tensile Behavior

In this paper, the effect of filler metal and type of welding on the strength and ductility of dissimilar welding of two different grades of stainless steel was investigated. One of the benefits of stainless steel is its corrosion resistance, which is often necessary for equipment longevity in these facilities. During shipbuilding, as required, stainless steel 316L needs to be welded to the shipbuilding-grade carbon steel A131. In these applications, welding between the two should demonstrate superior strength during vessel construction. To provide a clear illustration, experimental work was needed to allow a careful selection of the joining procedure and filler metal or electrode. The current research work includes a comparative experimental analysis of dissimilar-metal welding (SS-316L & A131 steel). The reasons for choosing these two materials are their greater corrosion resistance and high strength in humid environments. Furthermore, two different welding methods (SMAW & TIG) with varying filler metals were employed in the experiment. The ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of the SMAW welds using E308-16 filler metal were the highest among all, while the TIG welds with ER308L showed superior bending strength. Observations suggest that SMAW with the E308-16 electrode exhibits superior tensile strength, while TIG joints with ER 308L filler provide better bending strength for the welding of SS-316L and shipbuilding (SB) grade A131 steels.

Maaz Akhtar *
Fahad Rehman
Muhammad Muzamil
Atif Shazad
Mohsin Sattar
Intell. Sustain. Manuf.
2026,
3
(1), 10032; 
DOI: 10.70322/ism.2025.10032
Open Access

Article

09 December 2025

Mechanical Characterization of Ship Building Grade A Steel by Rapid Cooling in Different Liquid Media

Steel is an essential component used to build marine vessels due to its endurance of the sea’s harsh conditions, including corrosion and dynamic stresses, therefore, different grades of mild steel are used in shipbuilding. It provides the strength, ductility, and weldability necessary for structural integrity, consisting of carbon, manganese, etc., as alloying elements. In this research, different quenching media were employed to assess variations in mechanical properties. This process ultimately triggered alterations in the microstructure of the steel. Two types of media, such as vegetable oil (Canola) and Polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer (PVP), were studied in comparison with simple heat-treated steel. Mechanical characterization comprised of tensile testing, hardness and impact testing to evaluate major changes in strength and ductility. Furthermore, a microscope was used to interpret the microstructure. To guarantee consistency in testing, samples were prepared in accordance with ASTM guidelines. The yield strength of as-received steel was increased from 298 MPa to 358 MPa and 370 MPa because of rapid cooling action in PVP and oil, respectively. A significant increase in Ultimate tensile strength was achieved due to the variety of quenching media; however, ductility was seriously compromised because of the excessive hardness of the material. Impact energy analysis revealed a notable reduction, which is linked with degradation in toughness.

Atif Shazad*
Muhammad  HateemArif
Muhammad Laique
Muhammad Uzair
Muhammad Waqar
Intell. Sustain. Manuf.
2026,
3
(1), 10033; 
DOI: 10.70322/ism.2025.10033
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