Smart and precision manufacturing, which creates new innovations and technologies, has powerful ripple effects on other industries. In order to establish such manufacturing, not only conventional ultra-precision machining techniques have been improved but also novel, high-performance machining techniques have been developed for the manufacturing of diversified and complicated products. On-machine and in-process measurement is gaining in importance for emerging machining technologies as well as for conventional ones. Advanced techniques for machining and metrology as well as feedback systems for compensation manufacturing are required for the plasticity of on-machine and in-process conditions.

For smart solutions in precision manufacturing, the Internet of Things (IoT), which organizes all things that use data and connects them to the Internet, is playing an important role. It has been actualized through rapid progress in smart and real-time measurement technologies, through the miniaturization and speeding up of sensor technologies as well as intelligent data processors, and through the spreading of cloud technology, which accumulates huge amounts of data. As precision products with complex geometrical features and nanometer accuracies are realized, quality control must develop measurement and evaluation technologies. Nowadays, on-machine and in-process measurement are indispensable for quality control in smart and precision manufacturing systems.

This special issue focuses on manufacturing metrology, measurement and instrumentation for the progress of the state-of-the-art on-machine and in-process measurement systems, and sensor technologies in smart and precision manufacturing systems. It will collect contributions related but are not limited to the following topics:

* On-machine, in-process measurement and process monitoring
* Practical application of on-machine, in-process measurement
* Machine tool metrology
* Intelligent micro- and nano-metrology
* Multi-sensor fusion and multi-sensor cooperation
* Form and dimensional measurement and instrumentation
* 3D-surface textures and their micro-characteristics
* Machine learning and AI-aided measurement

Demand for the high-precision and high-efficiency machining of high-performance materials and components has increased in various industries, such as the optical, automotive, and communication industries, as well as in the life and medical sciences. Some difficult-to-machine materials can be reliably machined using deterministic precision-cutting processes. However, hard and brittle materials, such as ceramics, carbides, hardened steel for molds, glassy materials, or semiconductor materials, have to be machined using precision abrasive technologies that use super abrasives of diamond, cBN, or new tool materials. Using abrasive processes to machine high-precision components and their molds/dies, however, is very difficult because of the complex, non-deterministic natures and textured surfaces of the machined surfaces. High-energy processes, such as laser technology, can assist abrasive technologies to ensure higher precision and efficiency. Then, precision grinding and polishing processes are primarily used to generate high-quality and functional components that are usually made of difficult-to-machine materials. The surface quality achievable through precision grinding and polishing processes increases in importance when the machining time and costs are considered.

This special issue covers the advanced-abrasive processing technologies, including grinding, lapping, polishing, abrasive-jet processing, vibration-assisted abrasive processing, magnetic-field-assisted processing, and energy-assisted abrasive processing, plus related abrasive technologies and others.

Social demands for manufacturing systems are constantly changing with the times. In recent years, environmental and social issues have been compelling these systems to realize high productivity and high quality while reducing energy consumption and helping older operators. To meet these diverse demands, innovative technologies for production systems must be developed. Manufacturing systems are constructed based on various fundamental and innovative technologies.
This special issue focuses on state-of-the-art machine tools and manufacturing technologies to accelerate innovation in production engineering. It includes the following topics.
*Structure and drive systems in machine tools
*CAD/CAM, multi-axes control, and process planning technologies
*Machining processes, tooling systems, and process monitoring technologies
*Scheduling, AI, and information technologies
*Sustainable development, carbon neutrality, and energy consumption technologies
*Other related technologies

Additive manufacturing (AM) has undergone rapid development in the last decade, and it has been recognized as a remarkable scientific and industrial technique owing to its capacity to produce parts with complex and functional geometries. Various materials, such as polymers, metals, ceramics, and graphite can be employed to produce end products. However, the lack of intended fusion and the formation of defects during layer construction, due to the continuous fluctuations caused by the interaction of the heat source and material, are drawbacks of this technique. The quality assurance of built parts is therefore critical if the technique is to be further applied in various industrial fields.

This special issue focuses on recent trends in additive manufacturing in order to increase the chatter-free depth of AM technologies. Authors should exhibit a deep understanding of AM processes and their enhancement in order to improve the mechanical properties and dimensional accuracies of built parts. We are also interested in successful industrial applications with optimized configurations, hybrid processes, robotics, material reuse, post processes, and material developments applied to AM techniques.

With the advancement of information technologies such as IoT and artificial intelligence, digital twins are being introduced into social systems. Digital twins that include explicit models of humans are expected to realize human-machine cooperative systems and health promotion services. However, human beings are still the weakest link in the system, and there are still many issues, such as the understanding and modeling of human behavior, that must be solved for digital twins to become reality. The purpose of this special issue is to summarize the latest research on digital twins including humans, from the development of fundamental technologies to system operation in simulated environments and demonstration fields, and to share the path toward the realization of the digital twin beyond the boundaries of research fields. This IJAT special issue solicits original articles related to digital twins that include human factors. This includes, but is not limited to the following:
* Measurement using IoT devices and XR technologies
* Prediction using human models and behavioral databases
* Improvement/Augmentation of human abilities through sensory intervention and robot technologies
* Human-machine cooperative systems using digital twins including human factors
* Health promotion services using digital twins including human factors
* Digital twins including human factors and ELSI

Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques have been behind disruptive innovations in every industry. Based on AI techniques, large amounts of data can be converted into actionable insights and predictions. Manufacturers have frequently faced different kinds of challenges, such as unexpected machinery failures or defective product deliveries. Still, the adoption of AI techniques is expected to improve operational efficiency, enable the launch of new products, customize product designs, and plan future financial actions. Recently, manufacturers have been using AI techniques to improve the quality of their products, achieve greater speed and visibility across supply chains, and optimize inventory management.

Given that the attention and interest in AI techniques has been growing rapidly, it is time that the current state of the art of their practical applications be presented. The main aim of this special issue is to bring together the latest AI research and practical case studies of AI techniques in production engineering. Related topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

* Product development and design customization
* Process modeling/simulation
* Process monitoring/control
* CAD/CAM/CAE and generative design
* Predictive maintenance and logistics optimization

We hope this special Issue will contribute to the future research and development efforts of researchers and engineers in the field of production engineering.

Abrasive processing technologies support production processes in various industrial fields, such as the automotive, telecommunications, semiconductor, health care, energy, and aerospace industries. In this era of major changes, known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, advanced abrasive processing technologies that produce cutting-edge devices, machinery, and equipment are needed. Subjects related to abrasive processing are extremely diverse, including environmentally-friendly processing, function generation processing, and ICT fusion processing, in addition to continuing basic subjects such as high-efficiency processing, difficult-to-cut material processing, and ultra/high-precision processing. In order to meet these diversified needs, it is important that advanced abrasive processing technologies that capture the changes of the times be developed. Recently, basic grinding technologies, such as advanced measurement methods of analyzing grinding phenomena, the development of high-performance grinding wheels, and truing and dressing technologies, have progressed. Furthermore, advanced abrasive processing technologies have been developed, including the high-efficiency grinding of next-generation semiconductor materials and high-performance, difficult-to-cut materials, the automation/intelligence of grinding machines, the combining of mechanical energy and physical/chemical energy for grinding, and high-performance surface processing.

This special issue covers the advanced abrasive processing technologies, including grinding, lapping, polishing, abrasive-jet machining, vibration-assisted abrasive machining, magnetic machining, and energy-assisted abrasive machining, etc.

Recent trends, such as the trend toward carbon neutrality and toward a circular economy, indicate that it is increasingly crucial to include environmental sustainability in design and manufacturing. In design, this includes ecodesign, life cycle design, scenario design, service design, and design for X, such as remanufacturing, refurbishment, repair, and direct reuse (RRRDR). It also includes maintenance, upgrades, recycling, disassembly, and inspection. In manufacturing, it includes sustainable manufacturing, carbon neutralization, reduced energy and/or resource consumption, and sustainable value chain management.

The aim of this special issue is to bring together the latest research and practical case studies on design and manufacturing for environmental sustainability, especially those that deal with a holistic view of technology, business, legislation, energy, resources, infrastructures, and customer behavior. Papers ranging from theory to applications and case studies are welcomed. Topics of interest in this special issue include but are not limited to the following.

* Design for sustainability: ecodesign, life cycle design, scenario design, product service system design, design for XaaS, and design for X
* Manufacturing aspects of sustainability: sustainable manufacturing, carbon neutralization in manufacturing, reduced energy and/or resource consumption, digital transformation in manufacturing, and sustainable value chain management
* Business and social aspects of sustainability: SDGs, circular economy, ecobusiness planning, product service system business, sharing business, and environmental legislation
* Planning and design of sustainable infrastructure systems: “smart” cities, zero energy buildings, circular economy platforms, and sensor-networks for environmental monitoring
* Scenario planning and/or analysis for sustainability
* Energy management and new energy technologies

[Special announcement for EcoDesign 2021 speakers]
We cannot accept manuscripts that appear in the Springer E-book unless they have been significantly altered. However, we can accept manuscripts that appear only in the Proceedings of EcoDesign 2021.

Actuators are components that are essential to the moving, manipulating, or deforming of
objects. Historically, conventional electromagnetic motors as well as pneumatic and hydraulic
actuators have been developed to sophistication. In the past several decades, however, many
other kinds of novel principle actuators have also been proposed. These have employed physical
or/and chemical effects, such as piezoelectric, electrostatic, or giant magnetostrctive effects, as
well as thermal expansion, phase transformation, or ion mobility in polymers. These actuators
have been embedded not only in conventional machines but also in smart ones such as robots,
electric vehicles, data storage devices, and manufacturing equipment by combining the actuators
with the Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, there is no doubt that the technologies involved
in the development of novel actuators and the improvement of their efficiency are key to the
achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs), as actuators currently consume a huge
aggregate amount of energy. The actuators have the potential to be central to the development of
innovative machines.

This special issue will collect contributions related (but not limited) to the following topics.
* Design and analysis of actuators: high torque and/or power density actuators, precision
actuators, soft actuators, miniaturized or micro actuators, multiple-degree-of-freedom
actuators, linear motors, self-sensing actuators, composites and smart structures.
* Related topics: control strategies, driving circuits, materials, mechanisms.
* Applications: robotics, positioning systems, science, technologies, aerospace, harsh
environments, health care, virtual reality, arts, education, entertainment and industries.
* Case studies.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has been proposed, and various research and development activities geared toward the realization of smart factories have become extremely active. The smart factories are to use system thinking and data thinking IoT technologies in manufacturing.
In smart factories developed individually within a company, the direction of the development activities is changing drastically. Regarding common technologies, research activities and fusibility case study activities that are collaborations among industry, academia, and government and that show consideration and awareness of ecosystems are becoming active. In Japan, several initiatives support these activities. One of these initiatives, Industrial Value Chain Initiative (IVI), has conducted more than 200 research and demonstration activities toward the establishment of smart factories.
This special issue addresses the latest in advanced research on smart factories. We cordially invite you to submit papers on the topic to share your experiences and achievements with our many interested readers and researchers.
“Smart factory” includes, but is not limited to, the Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber Physical Systems (CPS), digital twins, cloud base technologies, production management technologies, supply chain management technologies, simulation technologies, maintenance technologies, machine to machine (M2M), sensor networks, and facility technologies.

The idea of Self-Optimizing Machining Systems (SOMS) has been proposed in the
era of Industry 4.0. In order to optimize for productivity, quality, and efficiency
in manufacturing, each component technology related to machining processes such
as CAD/CAM, process modeling/simulation, machine tool use, process monitoring/
control, workpiece assessment, etc. has been developed independently, although
the interactions among these component technologies determine the final
machining performance and the quality of the products. SOMS deals with the
information links among these components. Viewed from the opposite side, these
links and functionalities could be combined to develop comprehensive SOMS.
Nevertheless, an intensive implementation and combination of these technologies
has yet to catch up with the state-of-the-art industrial level. Industry 4.0 requires
that SOMS undergo further research and development.

This Special Issue focuses on SOMS research trends, with an emphasis on the
interactions among process modelling/simulation and process monitoring/
control. We hope this Special Issue will contribute to the future research and
development efforts of researchers and engineers in the field of manufacturing and
machining systems.

The demand for high-precision abrasive processes for difficult-to-machine materials, such
as hardened steel, ceramics, Ti alloys, and CFRP, has increased in various industries, such
as in the automotive, airplane, optical, and communication industries, as well as in the life
and medical sciences. Some difficult-to-machine materials can be reliably machined using
deterministic precision-cutting processes. On the other hand, hard and brittle materials,
such as ceramics, carbides, the hardened steel of molds, glassy materials, or semiconductor
materials, have to be machined using precision abrasive technologies with super abrasives
of diamond or cBN. However, the machining of high-precision components and their
molds/dies by means of abrasive processes is much more difficult because the complex
and non-deterministic natures and textured surfaces of these materials. In this sense,
precision grinding and polishing processes are primarily used to generate high-quality,
functional components usually made of difficult-to-machine materials. The surface qualities
achievable through precision grinding and polishing processes become more important in
terms of reducing machining times and costs.
This special issue covers high-performance abrasive technologies; including grinding,
lapping, polishing, and jet polishing; energy-assisted abrasive technologies; magnetic
machining technologies; and vibration-assisted technologies.

The industrial robot is more precisely an “automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulator, programmable in three or more axes, which can be either fixed in place or mobile” (ISO 8373:2012). According to the International Federation of Robotics, by 2018, more than 400,000 new units were being installed annually, and the global average robot density in the manufacturing industry was 99 robots per 10,000 employees. More than 30% of all installed robots were in the automotive industry, the biggest customer for robots.
Research on modeling, optimal motion control, programming, and efficient trajectory planning has been conducted to give robotic manipulators a wider variety of industrial applications. Owing to their larger workspace as well as greater flexibility, there is also an interest in utilizing industrial robots in contact applications such as machining. However, this is challenging since they are less accurate yet more complex than specialized machinery.
Hence, this special issue covers technical and academic efforts related to new technologies that improve the accuracy and facilitate the implementation of robotic manipulators in industrial applications. Suitable topics may include but are not limited to the following:
* Mechanical and geometrical property modeling and measurement
* Stiffness modeling and measurement
* Dynamic behavior modeling and measurement
* Offline and online compensation methods/strategies
* Path planning methodologies
* Thermal compensation
* Sensor-based robot enhancement
* AI applications in industrial robotics
* Robot programming: Interaction of specialized machinery and industrial manipulators
* Vision-based measurement
* Dynamic feedback control of robots
* Integrated metrology and robot sensors
* Production management with robots

Advanced digital geometry processing is required to develop, maintain, and renovate plants, factories, tunnels, bridges, forests, buildings and urban environments, as well as to conduct simulations and several automations therein. The importance of the rapid evolution of reliable and efficient 3D acquisition, processing, recognition, and modeling technologies, and their application to digital geometry data from large-scale structures and environments, is increasing.
Much research effort is being devoted to digital geometry processing and its applications. The main objective of this special issue is to provide the results of the latest research on and useful applications of digital geometry processing for large-scale structures and environments.
Related topics include but are not limited to the following:
* 3D geometry data acquisition of large-scale structures and environments.
* Point cloud and mesh data processing of large-scale structures and environments.
* Recognition and modeling of large-scale structures and environments.
* Applications of digital geometry data of large-scale structures and environments.
The papers in this special issue present the latest advances in large-scale geometry processing. Learning about these advances will help readers explore them while sharing their knowledge and experience with related technologies and developments.

Owing to changes in global industrial structure, the number of employees in manufacturing industry has been decreasing in developed countries. One of solutions offered in Industry 4.0 is “utilization of ROBOT and AI as alternatives to skilled workers.” The solutions have been applied to various operations conventionally performed by skilled workers and have given consistent results. A skilled worker has two features: “skill for physical operation” and “skill for decision making,” which correspond to utilization of ROBOT and AI, respectively.
Topics of interest in this special issue include but are not limited to the following:
*Application of ROBOT for various operations.
*Application of AI for various operations.
*Automation of operation that requires skill.
In addition to academic theory or analysis, technical reports, including practical cases, are welcome.

Abrasive technologies are currently indispensable for production processes in various industries, such as the automotive, aerospace, optics, telecommunications, and healthcare industries. In
production in these industries, even though it may be difficult to obtain the required accuracy and quality through other machining methods, abrasive technologies overcome the problems, yielding high surface quality with high dimensional and shape accuracy as a result. On the other hand, high-hardness materials, such as hardening die steels, cemented carbides, ceramics, and semiconductor materials, as well as heat-resistant materials, such as titanium alloys and nickel-based alloys, have become more difficult to machine as they have been developed. The accuracy and efficiency required of them have also increased. In order to realize these required types of processing, it is necessary to further advance the research and development of abrasive technologies, such as grinding and polishing. To these ends, it is important to elucidate the mechanisms of grinding and polishing and to develop processing techniques based on them. In addition, it is important to develop abrasive tools, including the abrasives they use, and to develop technologies peripheral to abrasive processing, such as tool conditioning techniques, coolant supply systems, and the coolants themselves.
This special issue covers the high-precision abrasive technologies of grinding, lapping, polishing, and jet machining, as well as magnetic machining technologies, vibration-assisted abrasive
technologies, and energy-assisted abrasive technologies.

Recent trends such as circular economy and responsible consumption and production have shown that it is increasingly crucial to include environmental sustainability in design and manufacturing.
In design, this includes ecodesign, life cycle design, scenario design, and design for X such as RRRDR (Remanufacturing, Refurbish, Repair, and Direct Reuse), maintenance, upgrading, recycling,
disassembly, and inspection. In manufacturing, this includes sustainable manufacturing, reducing energy and/or resource consumption, and sustainable value chain management.
The aim of this special issue is to bring together the latest research and practical case studies on design and manufacturing for environmental sustainability, especially those that deal with a holistic view of technology, business, legislation, energy, resources, infrastructures, and customer behavior.
Papers ranging from theory to applications and case studies are welcomed. Topics of interest in this special issue include but are not limited to:
*design for sustainability including ecodesign, life cycle design, scenario design, product service system design, and design for X
*manufacturing aspects of sustainability including sustainable manufacturing, reducing energy and/or resource consumption, digital transformation in manufacturing, and sustainable value chain management
*business and social aspects of sustainability, including SDGs, circular economy, CE business, ecobusiness planning, product service system business, sharing business, sustainable consumption and production, and environmental legislation
*planning and design of sustainable infrastructure systems including “smart” cities, green buildings, green ICT, smart grids, and sensor-networks for environmental monitoring
*scenario planning and/or analysis for sustainability
*energy management and new energy technologies

[Special announcement for EcoDesign 2019 speakers]
We cannot accept manuscripts that appear in the Springer E-book as is. However, we can accept manuscripts that appear only in the Proceedings of EcoDesign 2019.

The demand for high-precision machining of difficult-to-machine materials such as hardened steel, ceramics, Ti alloys, and carbon fiber reinforced plastic have increased across various industries such as in the automotive, aircraft, optical, and communication industries, as well as in life and medical sciences. Some difficult-to-machine materials can be reliably machined using deterministic precision cutting processes. On the contrary, hard and brittle materials such as ceramics, carbides, hardened steel molds, glassy materials, or semiconductor materials have to be machined using precision abrasive technologies with super abrasives of diamond or cBN. However, the machining of high-precision components and their molds/dies using abrasive processes is much more difficult owing to their complex and non-deterministic nature and textured surface. In this sense, precision grinding and polishing are primarily used to generate high-quality and functional components that are usually made of difficult-to-machine materials. The surface quality achievable through precision grinding and polishing becomes more important for reducing machining time and cost.
This special issue covers the advanced abrasive technology of grinding, lapping, polishing, jet polishing, magnetic machining technologies, vibration assisted technologies, and energy-assisted abrasive technologies.

Always welcome