Industry 4.0 is an emerging technology trend in the manufacturing arena that emphasizes the connectivity of physical and digital process across product development cycles. This article presents some examples of how Industry 4.0 will affect heat treating operations.

Ford Motor Company’s stamping division looks to leap into Industry 4.0 the same way Henry Ford led the transformation from Industry 1.0 to 2.0.

Getting connected and using data for operations and maintenance decisions is a great place to start when implementing Industry 4.0 concepts. This article reviews the steps that heat treaters must take toward adopting this technology, with an emphasis on implementing or enhancing predictive maintenance capabilities.

An in-depth understanding of technology trends not only keep materials engineers relevant, but also puts them in the driver’s seat when it comes to formulating strategies and executing projects. Some of today’s technology trends that are relevant to materials engineers include data analytics, artificial intelligence (machine learning and deep learning), blockchain, digital thread and digital twins, Internet of Things (IoT) or Industry 4.0, additive manufacturing, electric vehicles, and autonomous vehicles.

This article presents highlights from a panel session held at International Materials, Applications & Technologies (IMAT) 2023. Experts from ASM affiliate societies shared insights on the impact of new materials and manufacturing technologies in their respective fields. The panel was moderated by David Furrer, Pratt & Whitney. The panelists were Thomas Ackerson, Blue Origin LLC (representing the Failure Analysis Society); Arvind Agarwal, College of Engineering and Computing, Florida International University (Thermal Spray Society); Marvin Barnes, NASA (Heat Treating Society); Jay Demarest, IBM (Electronic Device Failure Analysis Society); and Laura Moyer, Lehigh University (International Metallographic Society).

Highlights from a member survey and panel discussion outlining the challenges and benefits of advanced manufacturing for the materials community. The article covers research being conducted in academia and industry to develop and integrate advanced manufacturing techniques; methods for in-process monitoring and machine learning; and challenges in adopting new digital manufacturing technologies.

Designed with key input from members, ASM International’s new Data Ecosystem provides a digital platform to assist engineering design and manufacturing stakeholders working in the Materials 4.0 era.

Today’s materials engineering leadership role is expected to expand and have a greater impact on evolving the organizational, technological, and strategic initiatives of original equipment manufacturers.

A joint research project has been initiated to develop surface treatments that comply with European Union REACH regulations, which address the production and use of chemical substances and their impact on human health and the environment. This article describes the roles of the partner organizations in the project.

The next generation of metal additive manufacturing leverages the advantages of cold spray to offer promising options for applications in aerospace, automotive, and biomedical engineering.

This article reports on outcomes from an additive manufacturing workshop that developed guidelines for AM data management to realize the promise of Materials 4.0 and achieve process qualification for AM parts.

In 2017, ASM’s Heat Treating Society R&D Committee established a new recognition for the best papers in the heat treating industry each year. This ariticle describes the Prime Contributor award criteria and judging process, and it includes a list of the award-winning papers from 2018 to 2023.

News about ASM members, chapters, events, awards, conferences, affiliates, and other society activities. Topics include: ASM technical committees update; volunteer profile for Dana Drake; women in engineering profile for Mary O'Brien.

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has tremendous potential in many areas of industry, and the opportunities in heat treating cannot be overlooked. Large amounts of process and operational data can be gathered in heat treating. The potential for predictive processes, maintenance, and productivity will be fully realized as the heat treat industry combines data from multiple sources and focuses on evaluating, and acting on, both real-time and historical data that is readily available.

Osaka University established the Center for Dissimilar Custom Design and Additive Manufacturing Research & Development to connect research-based AM with industrial implementation. It recently established another specialized AM research group at its new Anisotropic Design & Additive Manufacturing Research Center, which will further develop AM technology via an industry-academia collaboration. In this article, Hideyuki Kanematsu talks with Takayoshi Nakano, director of Osaka University’s newest research hub, about the center’s goals as well as the latest prospects for AM technology in Japan.

News about ASM members, chapters, events, awards, conferences, affiliates, and other society activities. Topics include: ASM affiliate societies name committee chairs for the 2019-2020 term; ASM President Zi-Kui Liu discusses the ASM response to Materials 4.0 and the Materials Genome Initiative; progress report on the ASM strategic plan; professional profile for Danielle Cote.

From its earliest beginnings to today, hardness testing has evolved in a parallel manner to the engineering innovations of the times.

News about ASM members, chapters, events, awards, conferences, affiliates, and other society activities. Topics include: ASM announces 2020 class of Fellows; Ho Lun Chan, Payam Emadi, and Casey Gilliams are selected as ASM student board members for 2020-2021; John Ågren named 2021 recipient of the J. Willard Gibbs Phase Equilibria Award; Dave Bourell records an introduction to additive manufacturing video presentation; Ray Fryan provides an overview of the ASM Data Ecosystem initiative; professional profile for Elizabeth Perepezko; Andrew Frerichs describes the use of ASM Connect by the Emerging Professionals Commitee; In Memoriam for Edward J. Kubel, Jr., long-time editor of AM&P magazine.

News about ASM members, chapters, events, awards, conferences, affiliates, and other society activities. Topics include: ASM affiliate societies announce new officers and board members for 2021; ASM President Judith Todd describes key strategic priorities for the society for the next decade; ASM to launch Data Ecosystem in January 2022; Elvin Beach named editor-in-chief of the Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention; new ASM technical communities and committees; 2021 highlights from the ASM Materials Education Foundation; professional profile for Deidra Minerd.

This article summarizes the outcomes from a NIST-sponsored workshop that examined the additive manufacturing (AM) data management pain points experienced by small- and medium-sized enterprises in interacting with larger organizations and government procurement agencies. Three prominent themes emerged: cost of compliance, technology gaps associated with uncertainty and AM process qualification, and a desire for government leadership to address these issues. The article includes lists of specific action items proposed at the workshop to address these challenges.