Virtual and Physical Prototyping

Additive Manufacturing of Smart Materials

Additive manufacturing (AM) of smart materials combines advanced fabrication with materials that can sense, respond, or adapt to their environment. Unlike conventional materials, smart materials enable components that can change shape, self-heal, or react to external stimuli. When paired with AM, these materials can be precisely structured into multifunctional and lightweight designs. This synergy opens new possibilities in engineering, where manufacturing focuses not only on shape and strength but also on intelligence and adaptability. Such innovation drives progress across industries from healthcare and aerospace to energy systems by enabling custom, high-performance, and responsive products.

The integration of smart materials with additive manufacturing enables products that are lighter, stronger, and more functional. It allows designers to create parts that can adapt, self-repair, or monitor performance in real time. This has a significant impact on safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

By minimizing material waste and allowing digital customization, AM supports cleaner, faster, and more cost-effective production. The combination also paves the way for smarter systems in critical areas such as healthcare, where implants can respond to body conditions, or aerospace, where adaptive structures can improve performance. Overall, AM of smart materials represents a key step toward a more intelligent and sustainable manufacturing future.

This Article Collection focuses on advancing research and innovation in Additive Manufacturing of Smart Materials. Submissions are welcome on the following topics:

• Smart material development and characterization
• Novel AM methods: 3D/4D printing, multi-material, hybrid manufacturing
• Design for additive manufacturing
• Metamaterials and functional structures
• Applications in healthcare, aerospace, automotive, and beyond

Preferred article types include original research, reviews, and short communications that highlight new materials, processes, or applications shaping the next generation of smart manufacturing.

Keywords: Smart Materials; 4D Printing; Shape Memory Materials; Stimuli-Responsive Materials; Metamaterials & Functional Structures

­­­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is [30 September 2026].

Please contact Zhan Yu at [email protected] with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

Please be sure to select "Additive Manufacturing of Smart Materials" from the drop-down menu in the submission system.

Mehrshad Mehrpouya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Design, Production, and Management (DPM) at the University of Twente. His research focuses on advanced manufacturing processes, including additive manufacturing and laser material processing, with a particular interest in smart materials and structures. Since 2022, he has coordinated the master’s course Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) within the Mechanical and Industrial Design Engineering programs at the University of Twente. He also co-edited two books published by Elsevier: Additive Manufacturing of Biopolymers and Additive Manufacturing of Shape Memory Materials.

Ian Gibson is a renowned researcher in the field of additive manufacturing. He is a Professor in the DPM department and serves as the Scientific Director of the Fraunhofer Innovation Platform (FIP) at the University of Twente. He is also the co-editor of the Rapid Prototyping Journal, a leading publication in the field for more than 25 years. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the academic additive manufacturing community, he received the Freeform and Additive  Manufacturing Excellence (FAME) Award in 2017, an honor bestowed on only a select few people worldwide. Additionally, he co- authored the widely used textbook Additive Manufacturing Technologies, which serves as a key reference in universities globally.