Material jetting (MJ) is a classification of additive manufacturing processes that involves the selective jetting and subsequent solidification of liquid droplets onto a substrate in a layerwise manner. This article focuses solely on MJ of polymers, providing a process overview and describing the functional characteristics that distinguish it from other AM technologies. It provides information on the properties and design considerations of both build and support materials. Process-related effects on final part properties and overall quality, as well as corresponding design considerations are also covered. The article also discusses the applications and future scope of polymer MJ systems.

Laser-ultrasonics is a particular implementation of ultrasonic nondestructive inspection in which ultrasound is generated and detected by lasers. This article discusses the various mechanisms that ensure ultrasound generation and explains the possibility to get the equivalent of phase-array by numerical processing of an array of previously acquired laser-ultrasonic signals. The article describes the ultrasound generation by thermoelastic mechanism and ablation or vaporization. It illustrates the principle of optical detection of ultrasound with confocal Fabry-Perot interferometer and photorefractive two-wave mixing interferometer. The article concludes with information on the industrial applications of laser-ultrasonics, including thickness measurement, flaw detection, and material characterization.

This article discusses the application of amorphous and crystalline films through plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) from the view point of microelectronic device fabrication. It describes the various types of PECVD reactors and deposition techniques. Plasma enhancement of the CVD process is discussed briefly. The article also describes the properties of amorphous and crystalline films deposited by the PECVD process for integrated circuit fabrication.

This article focuses on the pneumatic extrusion-based system for biomaterials. It provides an overview of additive manufacturing (AM) processes, followed by sections covering steps and major approaches for the 3D bioprinting process. Then, the article discusses the types, processes, advantages, limitations, and applications of AM technology and extrusion-based approaches. Next, it provides information on the research on extrusion-based printing. Finally, the article provides a comparison of the extrusion-based approach with other approaches.

This article discusses the techniques and applications of synchrotron x-ray diffraction, providing information on x-ray generation, monochromation, and crystallography. X-ray diffraction techniques covered include single-crystal and powder diffraction. Some of the factors involved in the construction and development of macromolecular x-ray crystallography are also described.

Machine vision, also referred to as computer vision or intelligent vision, is a means of simulating the image recognition and analysis capabilities of the human eye and brain system with digital techniques. The machine vision functionality is extremely useful in inspection, supervision, and quality control applications. This article presents a variety of machine vision functions for different purposes and provides a comparison of machine and human vision capabilities in a table. It discusses the processes of a machine vision system: image acquisition, image preprocessing, image analysis, and image interpretation. The article provides information on the uses of machine vision systems in three categories of manufacturing applications: visual inspection, identification of parts, and guidance and control applications.

Induction heat treating is used in the off-road machinery industry for hardening steel and cast iron components used in a wide range of applications. This article focuses on the usage of induction hardening components in the industry, and discusses the basic requirements of steel and cast iron to undergo induction hardening. It provides a comparison on single-shot and scan hardening methods to select the suitable one for induction heat treating of gears and sprockets. The article describes the effect of microstructure, residual stress, and workpiece position on induction hardening. It concludes with a discussion on the important factors to be considered during the installation of off-road machinery components.

This article discusses the basic operating principles, industrial applications, and advantages as well as the parameters influencing the process of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) of solid materials, liquid materials, laser-absorbing layers, intact structures, and metallic 3D microstructures in additive manufacturing.

This article discusses the state of the art in the 3D bioprinting field. It examines the printability of protein-based biopolymers and provides key printing parameters, along with a brief description of the main current 3D bioprinting approaches. The article presents some studies investigating 3D bioprinting of naturally derived proteins for the production of structurally and functionally biomimetic scaffolds, which create a microenvironment for cells resembling that of the native tissues. It describes key structural proteins processed in the form of hydrogels, such as collagen, silk, fibrin, and others such as elastin, decellularized matrix, and Matrigel (Corning), which are used as biomaterials.

Compression molding is the single largest primary manufacturing process used for automotive composite applications. This article provides an overview of the compression molding process. It describes the basic design, materials, and processing equipment of three main groups of composite materials, namely, glass-fiber-mat-reinforced thermoplastics, long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics, and sheet molding compounds. The article also presents information on the application examples and market volume of compression molding.

Due to the recent requirement of higher integration density, solder joints are getting smaller in electronic product assemblies, which makes the joints more vulnerable to failure. Thus, the root-cause failure analysis for the solder joints becomes important to prevent failure at the assembly level. This article covers the properties of solder alloys and the corresponding intermetallic compounds. It includes the dominant failure modes introduced during the solder joint manufacturing process and in field-use applications. The corresponding failure mechanism and root-cause analysis are also presented. The article introduces several frequently used methods for solder joint failure detection, prevention, and isolation (identification for the failed location).

This article is intended to provide the reader with a good understanding of the underlying science, technology, and the most common applications of focused ion beam (FIB) instruments. It begins with a survey of the various types of FIB instruments and their configurations, discusses the essential components, and explains their function only to the extent that it helps the operator obtain the desired results. An explanation of how the components of ion optical column shape and steer the ion beam to the desired target locations is then provided. The article also reviews the many diverse accessories and options that enable the instrument to realize its full potential across all of the varied applications. This is followed by a detailed analysis of the physical processes associated with the ion beam interacting with the sample. Finally, a complete survey of the most prominent FIB applications is presented.

This article discusses the basic principles of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), covering different instruments used for performing ICP-MS analysis. The instruments covered include the sample-introduction system, ICP ion source, mass analyzer, and ion detector. Emphasis is placed on ICP-MS applications in the semiconductor, photovoltaic, materials science, and other electronics and high-technology areas.

Structural applications for advanced ceramics include mineral processing equipment, machine tools, wear components, heat exchangers, automotive products, aerospace components, and medical products. This article begins with an overview of the wear-resistant applications and the parameters affecting wear of ceramics, namely, hardness, thermal conductivity, fracture toughness, and corrosion resistance. The next part of the article addresses temperature-resistant applications of advanced ceramics. Specific applications of ceramic materials addressed include cutting tools, pump and valve components, rolling elements and bearings, paper and wire manufacturing, biomedical implants, heat exchangers, adiabatic diesel engines, advanced gas turbines, and aerospace applications.

This article provides an overview of thermal spray processes. It describes the microstructural character of thermal spray coatings as well as the criteria for coating selection. The optimization, parameterization, and surface preparation and treatments for the thermal spray coatings are also discussed. The article illustrates the adhesion of polymer coatings and the thermal spray process used to remove lead-base paint. It provides information on the specifications, standardization, and guidelines for thermal spray applicators.