4 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2025 ASM International 9639 Kinsman Road, Materials Park, OH 44073 Tel: 440.338.5151 • Fax: 440.338.4634 Joanne Miller, Editor joanne.miller@asminternational.org Victoria Burt, Managing Editor vicki.burt@asminternational.org Frances Richards and Corinne Richards Contributing Editors Anne Vidmar, Layout and Design Allison Freeman, Production Manager allie.freeman@asminternational.org EDITORIAL COMMITTEE John Shingledecker, Chair, EPRI Beth Armstrong, Vice Chair, Oak Ridge National Lab Adam Farrow, Past Chair, Los Alamos National Lab Yun Bai, Ford Carl Boehlert, Michigan State University Punnathat Bordeenithikasem, Machina Labs Daniel Grice, Materials Evaluation & Engineering Surojit Gupta, University of North Dakota Hideyuki Kanematsu, Suzuka National College of Technology Ibrahim Karaman, Texas A&M University Ricardo Komai, Tesla Krassimir Marchev, Northeastern University Bhargavi Mummareddy, Dimensional Energy Scott Olig, U.S. Naval Research Lab Christian Paglia, SUPSI Institute of Materials and Construction Ryan Paul, GrafTech International Satyam Sahay, John Deere Technology Center India Abhijit Sengupta, USA Federal Government Kumar Sridharan, University of Wisconsin Vasisht Venkatesh, Howmet Aerospace ASM BOARD OF TRUSTEES Navin Manjooran, President and Chair Elizabeth Ho man, Senior Vice President Daniel P. Dennies, Vice President Pradeep Goyal, Immediate Past President Lawrence Somrack, Treasurer Amber Black Pierpaolo Carlone Rahul Gupta Hanchen Huang André McDonald Victoria Miller Christopher J. Misorski Dehua Yang Fan Zhang Veronica Becker, Executive Director STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS Victoria Anson, Emily Ghosh, Wyeth Haddock Individual readers of Advanced Materials & Processes may, without charge, make single copies of pages therefrom for personal or archival use, or may freely make such copies in such numbers as are deemed useful for educational or research purposes and are not for sale or resale. Permission is granted to cite or quote from articles herein, provided customary acknowledgment of the authors and source is made. The acceptance and publication of manuscripts in Advanced Materials & Processes does not imply that the reviewers, editors, or publisher accept, approve, or endorse the data, opinions, and conclusions of the authors. INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING The factory of the future is here. Smart factories are popping up everywhere and changing the materials and manufacturing landscape. The advent of Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics has created fertile ground for the growth of numerous advanced manufacturing technologies. And it is poised for more expansion. The smart factory market, which boasted a value of $103.33 billion in 2024, is projected to generate $211.04 billion by 2031, globally—a CAGR of 10.30%—according to Verified Market Research. A large portion of that gain will be generated by the materials sectors in industries from automotive and aerospace to medical devices and semiconductors. In this issue, we put a spotlight on several early adopters of these cutting-edge, intelligence-based technologies. A premier example comes from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Its Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) in Tennessee works directly with industry to develop solutions to manufacturing challenges, especially those with energy and defense applications. Founded in 2012 by the U.S. Department of Energy, MDF shares resources and technical expertise with industrial partners to help introduce advanced manufacturing options. In their article, authors from MDF present several case studies highlighting 3D printing of large parts, some used in extreme conditions, as well as the development of AI software for real-time monitoring and quality control during printing. A recent webinar hosted by SME on “Preparing Manufacturing for the AI Revolution” highlighted the critical role that such AI software tools play in smart factories. The speakers pointed out that most companies have a treasure trove of unstructured data in the form of legacy 2D drawings, sensor readings, meeting notes, machine logs, customer feedback, and “tribal knowledge” from tenured employees. AI data platforms like CADDi, which was featured in the webinar, can digitize that information allowing companies to make better data-driven decisions. Our cover story in this issue provides an example of a data-driven production system at a company that invented their own version of digital manufacturing. Machina Labs in California developed the software-based RoboCraftsman, which captures all the intelligence generated during their sheet metal forming process including digital records, data, and quality assessments. Their factory of the future utilizes two robots in one cell to complete multiple manufacturing steps from sheet metal forming and trimming through the heat treating process. The robot also creates a laser scan of the part, which is compared to the original CAD model. The system then can inform the robot if a stress relieving step is recommended. That’s a smart setup. Yes, the future is here. But more high-tech manufacturing developments that will impact the materials industries are yet to come. MDF, CADDi, and Machina Labs offer just a few exciting glimpses into the wide possibilities that lie ahead. Intelligence-based technologies will continue their growth path. And smart companies will embrace them. joanne.miller@asminternational.org RoboCra sman. Courtesy of Machina Labs.
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