Cutting technologies have been widely applied in the manufacturing of airplane, automobile, medical, energy, and information industries. Cutting operations are generally evaluated in terms of material removal rates and surface quality. Materials science and engineering has also made significant progress in improving material properties. Therefore, scientific research should be conducted to achieve high performance when working with difficult-to-cut materials such as nickel-based super alloy. Because the manufacturing of products with complex shapes in various industries requires multi-axis machining, the cutting operations should be managed efficiently through controls, simulations, and monitoring.

This special issue was organized by Research Committee of Cutting Technologies in Japan Society for Precision Engineering. This issue includes 14 papers on advanced cutting technologies covering the following topics:

– Modeling the tribological aspects of the tool face–workpiece interface during the cutting process.

– Cutting mechanics in advanced cutting operations.

– Tool wear and coolant supply in cutting of advanced materials.

– Cutting processes for hard materials to improve cutting performance.

– Fixturing, chatter suppression, and tool path generation to control cutting processes and operations.

– Surface characterization and modeling to control product quality in multi-axis machining.

I hope this issue will be helpful for readers to understand cutting processes and improve the cutting operations.

The ninth Best Paper Award 2018 ceremony was held at Hilltop Hotel, Tokyo, September 26, 2018, attended by the winners and IJAT Editorial Committee members. At the same time, the third Best Review Award 2018 has been decided by IJAT Editorial Committee. The Best Paper was severely selected from among 93 papers published in Vol.11, 2017, and Best Review was selected from 15 reviews published from 2016 to 2018. The Best Paper Award winner was given a certificate with a nearly US$1,000 honorarium, and the Best Review Award winner was given a certificate with commemorative shield.

We congratulate the winners and sincerely wish for their future success.

The Best Paper Award 2018

Integrated Chatter Monitoring Based on Sensorless Cutting Force/Torque Estimation in Parallel Turning

by Yuki Yamada, Takashi Kadota, Shinya Sakata, Junji Tachibana, Kenichi Nakanishi, Manabu Sawada, and Yasuhiro Kakinuma

Int. J. of Automation Technology, Vol.11 No.2, pp. 215-225, March 2017

The Best Review Award 2018

“Industrie 4.0” and Smart Manufacturing – A Review of Research Issues and Application Examples

by Klaus-Dieter Thoben, Stefan Wiesner, and Thorsten Wuest

Int. J. of Automation Technology, Vol.11 No.1, pp. 4-16, January 2017

This is the fourth special issue on design and manufacturing for environmental sustainability. While Japanese manufacturers are not so active in this field, the trend of integrating sustainability into manufacturing activities and management of companies is becoming dominant. We can point out three epoch-making instances: namely, United Nations’ ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),’ which consists of 17 goals to be achieved by 2030, covering not only environmental sustainability but also social and human sustainability; EU’s ‘Circular Economy,’ which promotes various routes for resource circulation (e.g., reuse, remanufacturing, maintenance, and recycling) for increasing employment and market competitiveness of EU and resource efficiency; and ‘Paris Agreement’ on climate change, which enforces reduction of the emission of greenhouse gases to zero by the end of this century.

This special issue includes six well-written papers, all of which are deeply related to these three policies. The first four papers focus on product life cycle or even multiple product life cycles. This aspect is an inherent feature of design and manufacturing for environmental sustainability, which was not considered in traditional design and manufacturing. The keywords of these four papers are life cycle CO₂ emission evaluation of electric vehicles, life cycle simulation of reuse among multiple product life cycles, disassembly part selection based on the idea of life expectancy, and personalization design aiming at avoiding mass production and mass disposal. The latter two papers are rather fresh in this journal. The fifth paper deals with customer preferences in Indonesia. Focusing on life styles in developing countries is a very important topic emphasized in SDGs. The last paper deals with food waste, which is emphasized in both SDGs and Circular Economy.

Most of the papers, revised and extended in response to the editor’s invitations, were originally presented at EcoDesign 2017: the tenth International Symposium on Environmentally Conscious Design and Inverse Manufacturing, held in Tainan, Taiwan.

The editor sincerely thanks the authors and reviewers for their devoted work in making this special issue possible. We hope that these articles will encourage further research on design and manufacturing for environmental sustainability.

The demand for high-precision hard components and their molds/dies have increased in various industries such as in the optical, automotive, 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 other hand, hard and brittle materials such as ceramics, carbides, 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 abrasive processes, is much more difficult because of their complex and non-deterministic nature and textured surface. Furthermore, high-energy processes such as laser technology can assist abrasive technologies for ensuring higher precision and efficiency. In this sense, precision grinding and polishing process are primarily used to generate high-quality and functional components usually made of difficult-to-machine materials. The surface quality achievable by precision grinding and polishing processes becomes more important for reducing machining time and costs.

This special issue features five research articles – five papers – related to the most recent advances in precision abrasive technology of difficult-to-machine materials. Their subjects cover various abrasive machining processes of grinding, polishing, abrasive flow machining, tooling technology, and laser technologies.

We deeply appreciate the careful work of all authors and thank the reviewers for their incisive efforts. We also hope this special issue will trigger further research on abrasive technologies.

Automation of machine tools has made them more productive, thereby providing an advantage for sustainability and the welfare of mankind. However, in many cases, the successful automation of machine tools requires the avoidance of self-excited chatter vibrations, resulting in a reliable stable state for cutting. Machine tool operators tend to use the machines close to their power thresholds, thereby unknowingly driving them toward the limits of their stability. Much progress has been made in the last few decades concerning the understanding and prediction of such vibrations, and this has led to improvements such as higher cutting rates and chip thicknesses.

Several countermeasures such as active and passive damping are available for avoiding chatter vibrations in machine tools. However, their industrial use is not common yet. In fact, the industry is somewhat unfamiliar with many of these countermeasures. The hesitant attitude of the machine tool builders to apply such countermeasures is a result of several factors: active and passive damping devices are additional system components that require design, tuning, and maintenance. Furthermore, they are associated with a risk of failure, resulting in additional down times of the machines. Additionally, if a machine requires such devices to achieve the desired specifications, the customer’s opinion regarding it can be negatively affected. This situation is challenging for machine tool builders, users, and academia as well. Therefore, we decided to dedicate a special issue of IJAT to this topic.

This special issue focuses on both active and passive damping measures, particularly the measures that are systematically designed and deliberately implemented to increase the chatter-free depth of cut in machine tools. The papers in this issue identify successful applications or at least a vision for them. Additionally, models demonstrating the effects of the chosen active or passive damping systems are presented. Some of these models can also be used to systematically select the parameters of the system. Some of the systems can be easily applied as low-cost patch-up solutions to improve the behaviors of the machines already in use.

I hope that this special issue delivers a valuable overview of the existing approaches to introduce additional damping in machine tools. I would like to sincerely thank all the authors for their dedication and the well written and illustrated manuscripts. I would also like to thank the reviewers for their efforts to ensure the quality of this issue. Finally, I am very thankful to IJAT for their immense cooperation and support. I wish you all the best and hope that you can benefit from the content of this special issue.

First, we would like to express our sincere condolences to the victims of the landslides and floods caused by the torrential rain in Japan in July 2018. We were terribly grieved to hear about these disasters during the editing of this special issue of the International Journal of Automation Technology (IJAT), and we sincerely hope for the revival of the disaster-stricken areas.

This special issue focuses on the progress in manufacturing technologies for maximizing product quality and reducing costs, especially in the mechanical industry. Manufacturing technologies have been developing in order to meet the changes in social and economic environments such as progress in informatization, diverse needs, and increasing demands for a sustainable society. At present, engineers and researchers in the field of manufacturing are facing an unprecedented rapid change caused by the fourth industrial revolution. Therefore, research in this field is also expected to develop more than ever before.

This special issue of IJAT contains seven research papers on topics including shearing of metal sheets, machine tools and machining technology, precision dimensional measurement, and nanoimprinting process. Some of the papers, revised and extended at the editors’ request, were presented originally at the 9th International Conference on Leading Edge Manufacturing in 21st Century (LEM21), held in Hiroshima, Japan in 2017.

The editors thank the authors and reviewers for their comprehensive efforts in making this special issue possible, and hope that these articles will encourage further research on manufacturing technologies.

To solve problems underlying design and manufacturing we often rely on methodologies of computational intelligence such as machine learning, artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic, fuzzy inference systems and smart optimization algorithms. In this Special Issue of the International Journal of Automation Technology, original articles are presented with reference to the engagement of intelligent computation in diverse application areas of design and manufacturing, including manufacturing process monitoring, manufacturing systems management, scheduling, design theory and methodology.

The six research papers in this Special Issue propose the use of intelligent computation methodologies to deal with various topics related to manufacturing and design. In particular, the first three papers focus on manufacturing process monitoring with reference to different manufacturing technologies, including tool wear monitoring in drilling of composite materials, sensor monitoring in CNC turning and residual stress prediction in welding. Diverse intelligent approaches such as artificial neural networks and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems are proposed to support manufacturing process monitoring. The fourth paper deals with the manufacturing system level, proposing the employment of a solution algorithm combining metaheuristics and operation simulation for scheduling of production processes. The fifth paper aims at developing tools to guide the manufacturers to manage the technology investment and cost saving target for customer satisfaction based on the application of internet of things. The last paper proposes a methodology to support the introduction of customer requirements in product and service design via a decision support system which exploits artificial intelligence algorithms (machine learning) based on inductive inference, allowing knowledge related to product/service to be mapped, structured and managed to design the service and product semantic model.

The editors deeply appreciate all the authors and anonymous reviewers for their effort and excellent work to make this Special Issue unique. We hope that future research on intelligent computation in manufacturing and design will advance manufacturing technology and systems as well as design methodologies.

To solve problems underlying design and manufacturing we often rely on methodologies of computational intelligence such as machine learning, artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic, fuzzy inference systems and smart optimization algorithms. In this Special Issue of the International Journal of Automation Technology, original articles are presented with reference to the engagement of intelligent computation in diverse application areas of design and manufacturing, including manufacturing process monitoring, manufacturing systems management, scheduling, design theory and methodology.

The six research papers in this Special Issue propose the use of intelligent computation methodologies to deal with various topics related to manufacturing and design. In particular, the first three papers focus on manufacturing process monitoring with reference to different manufacturing technologies, including tool wear monitoring in drilling of composite materials, sensor monitoring in CNC turning and residual stress prediction in welding. Diverse intelligent approaches such as artificial neural networks and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems are proposed to support manufacturing process monitoring. The fourth paper deals with the manufacturing system level, proposing the employment of a solution algorithm combining metaheuristics and operation simulation for scheduling of production processes. The fifth paper aims at developing tools to guide the manufacturers to manage the technology investment and cost saving target for customer satisfaction based on the application of internet of things. The last paper proposes a methodology to support the introduction of customer requirements in product and service design via a decision support system which exploits artificial intelligence algorithms (machine learning) based on inductive inference, allowing knowledge related to product/service to be mapped, structured and managed to design the service and product semantic model.

The editors deeply appreciate all the authors and anonymous reviewers for their effort and excellent work to make this Special Issue unique. We hope that future research on intelligent computation in manufacturing and design will advance manufacturing technology and systems as well as design methodologies.

Recently, terrestrial laser scanners have been significantly improved in terms of accuracy, measurement distance, measurement speed, and resolution. They enable us to capture dense 3D point clouds of large-scale objects and fields, such as factories, engineering plants, large equipment, and transport ships. In addition, the mobile mapping system, which is a vehicle equipped with laser scanners and GPSs, can be used for capturing large-scale point clouds from a wide range of roads, buildings, and roadside objects. Large-scale point clouds are useful in a variety of applications, such as renovation and maintenance of facilities, engineering simulation, asset management, and 3D mapping. To realize these applications, new techniques must be developed for processing large-scale point clouds. So far, point processing has been studied mainly for relatively small objects in the field of computer-aided design and computer graphics. However, in recent years, the application areas of point clouds are not limited to conventional domains, but also include manufacturing, civil engineering, construction, transportation, forestry, and so on. This is because the state-of-the-art laser scanner can be used to represent large objects or fields as dense point clouds. We believe that discussing new techniques and applications related to large-scale point clouds beyond the boundaries of traditional academic fields is very important.

This special issue addresses the latest research advances in large-scale point cloud processing. This covers a wide area of point processing, including shape reconstruction, geometry processing, object recognition, registration, visualization, and applications. The papers will help readers explore and share their knowledge and experience in technologies and development techniques.

All papers were refereed through careful peer reviews. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the authors for their submissions and to the reviewers for their invaluable efforts for ensuring the success of this special issue.

Since the transistor was invented at Bell Laboratories in 1947 and the concept of the integrated circuit was presented by Jack Kilby of TI in 1958, devices using silicon semiconductors have been developed with tremendous drive. Today, ultrastructural, highly dense, and high-functional ULSI devices have become a reality. Accordingly, novel, three-dimensional devices that aim at multiple functions and high performance have been proposed, and novel materials have come into existence. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) has drawn increasing attention, the concept of “Singularity,” or singular technical point, has become a focus of great attention. Singularity is a prediction put forth by American futurist Ray Kurzweil, who said, “Singularity will come in 2045, when the speed of the evolution of technology will become infinite and Artificial Intelligence will exceed human intelligence.” This prediction is said to have its roots in “Moore’s law,” formulated by Intel founder Gordon Moore, which states that “the degree of integration of transistors doubles every year and a half.” The deep learning and self-learning functions of computers can be mentioned as significant driving factors behind the dramatic development of AI studies. The processing capacity of AI has increased exponentially owing to the evolution and combination of various technologies, and the speed of development of technology now far exceeds the biological limits of humankind. As a result, it is inevitable that “Singularity” will come to pass, and the technologies behind semiconductor devices contributing to the arrival of Singularity are expected to develop much further.

In the process of such semiconductor development, silicon carbide (SiC), among other materials, came to be expected as the next-generation semiconductor in the 1950s, but it could not succeed significantly as a practical device. SiC also attracted attention as the material used in green and red light-emitting elements. In the 1990s, SiC came into the spotlight, along with gallium nitride (GaN) crystal and other materials, by being put into practical use as the material used in blue light-emitting diodes. Today, as the silicon (Si) as power devices have already approached the physical limits of the material, next-generation devices focus on semiconductor substrates such as SiC and GaN, which have performance indexes tens to thousands of times higher than the Si semiconductor. Especially, high-power devices and high-frequency devices have attracted special attention, because the use of semiconductor devices in the automotive and other fields has increased dramatically. Furthermore, the single-crystal substrate of semiconducting diamond is considered to be the ultimate semiconductor device, so this topic has been vigorously researched.

The above-mentioned next-generation devices are called green devices because they could reduce power consumption and carbon dioxide emissions tremendously, leading to the realization of a low-carbon and energy-saving society. Such devices are utilized not only as high-power semiconductors and light-emitting semiconductors but also as various sensors, including gas sensors and UV sensors, as well as MEMS devices. Further application of such devices is expected in the future.

To actually produce the high-performance and multifunctional green devices, it will be necessary to establish the technologies for device integration and the manufacturing process. An example would be the process of growing crystals that are larger in diameter and higher in quality. The substrate materials applied in such technologies, including SiC, GaN, and diamond, are known as ultra-hard-to-process materials: their extreme mechanical and chemical stability makes the general manufacturing process much more difficult. A breakthrough is needed to solve this problem. Many challenges must be overcome systematically to produce a high-performance green device, as the device to which such crystalline materials are applied will reduce power consumption and carbon dioxide emissions extremely effectively.

This special issue focuses on manufacturing processes, including the planarization processing of every kind of hard-to-process crystal substrate, involved in producing green devices, sensors, etc. And the paper on the various applications of the device are published in this issue. This issue is expected to contribute to the establishment of a process for manufacturing green devices, which is an essential industrial strategy, as well as to future intensive studies in this field.

Sensors, which are transducer-type devices, are indispensable to today’s advanced information society. A huge number of sensors are used not only in everyday devices but also in advanced industrial systems. They are used in Internet of things (IoT) services to gather external information, intelligent robots to recognize the world around them and control their movements, and all advanced vehicle technologies to operate safely and automatically. Sensors detect light, motion, force, fluid flow, electric/magnetic fields, and other physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the external environment.

To improve the performances of these sensors, such as their sensitivity, sensing resolution, and power consumption, extensive R&D is conducted in industry and academia. Recent technological progress in MEMS technology has allowed sensors to be manufactured on scales that are increasingly microscopic. More recently, the extreme downsizing of structures to nanometer scale has led to innovative sensing devices called NEMS.

This special issue addresses the latest research advances in nanosensing and microsensing science and engineering. It covers a wide range of topics, including novel sensing devices and technologies; small structures fabrication technologies for sensors; MEMS/NEMS sensing devices; physical, chemical, optical and biological sensing devices; and nanoscale science and engineering for sensors.

All papers were refereed through careful peer reviews. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the authors for their submissions and to the reviewers for their invaluable efforts. Lastly, we hope this special issue provides valuable and useful information to our interested readers and researchers.

Interdisciplinary research that integrates medical science, biotechnology, materials science, mechanical engineering, and manufacturing has seen rapid progress in recent years. Not only fundamental research into biological functions but also the development of clinical approaches to treating patients are being actively carried out by experts in different fields. For example, artificial materials, such as those used in orthopedic surgery and dental implants, are being used more widely in medical treatments. In the area of minimally invasive surgery using X-rays, CT, and MRI, medical devices possessing radiolucent and nonmagnetic properties are playing a major role. Medical auxiliary equipment, such as wheelchairs, prosthetic feet, and other objects used to supplement medical treatment, is also critical. To assure that such advances continue into the future, material development and manufacturing processes should eventually satisfy the requirements of medical and biological applications, which are being debated by experts in different fields.

The applicable materials should have excellent specific strength and rigidity, high biocompatibility, and good formability. The various needs for material characteristics and functions make interdisciplinary research essential. Mechanical engineering and manufacturing technologies should be further developed to solve problems involved in the establishment of basic principles by integrating the knowledge of materials science, medical science, biology, chemistry, and other fields.

This special issue addresses the latest research advances into the biomedical applications of different manufacturing technologies. This covers a wide area, including biotechnologies, biomanufacturing, biodevices, and biomedical technologies. We hope that learning more about these advances will enable the readers to share in the authors’ experience and knowledge of technologies and development.

All papers were refereed through careful peer reviews. We would like express our sincere appreciation to the authors for their submissions and to the reviewers for their invaluable efforts, which have ensured the success of this special issue.

The machining of deformable parts is both an old and new problem. Because the standard procedures for machining operations implicitly assume a rigid workpiece and ideal chip removal, workpiece deformation has been considered a disturbance in machining operations. Due to the increasing need for lightweight and compact products, deformable parts, such as thin-structured parts and soft materials, are now widely utilized. For the effective and accurate production of deformable parts, die-less direct machining of deformable parts is a promising approach because of its applicability to various materials and shapes. This technical trend has increased the attentions given to the machining of deformable parts.

This special issue addresses advanced research done on the machining of deformable parts. This covers investigations into non-metallic parts machining, the estimation of fixed-parts deformation, and deformation analyses for thin-structured parts.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the authors and reviewers, whose invaluable efforts have made the publication of this special issue possible. We hope that this special issue will trigger further research on the machining of deformable parts, leading to advances.

Measurement technology in the field of production engineering has long played an essential role in improving the yield and reliability of manufactured products, and it will continue to increase in importance to the manufacture of advanced products. The development of intelligent and innovative measurement technologies will not only be essential but also indispensable to the creation of high value-added products as next-generation advanced products, manufactured based on leading-edge production technologies and science. The importance of measurement technologies indispensable to the digitization of things has been increasing particularly dramatically in the industrial revolution of production based on the innovative advancement of big data management and the cloud computing environment.

This special issue addresses the latest research advances into measurement for production engineering. This covers a wide area, including dimensional measurement, surface metrology, uncertainty, traceability, calibration, in-process and on-line metrology, machine tool metrology, optical metrology, micro and nano metrology, and applied sensor technology. We hope that learning more about these advances will enable the readers to share in the authors’ experiences and knowledge of technologies and development.

All papers were refereed through careful peer reviews. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the authors for their submissions and to the reviewers for their invaluable efforts, ensuring the success of this special issue.

Green production for a sustainable world has increased in importance as society has increased in its awareness of global warming, energy security, pollution, and the metals shortage. Lean production is a concept considered in successful manufacturing enterprises. Green and lean are often achieved together, such when both waste and energy consumption are reduced. On the other hand, the two are sometimes thought to be at odds, such as when the frequent transportation and small lot size often used in lean production consumes more energy usage than does conventional production. The integration of green and lean is familiar to those who study sustainability. The three bottom lines of sustainability are ecological, economic, and social sustainability. The ecological and economic dimensions have been discussed in the field of production systems. Proactive scenario simulation is required for the evaluation of sustainability as well as for the discussion of integrated criteria of sustainability.

This special issue covers both green and lean topics in the production field. It considers the challenges that need to be addressed so that researchers and practitioners may engage in scientific and practical discussions of these topics. Six contributions from academic institutes and six contributions from manufacturing companies have been accepted. This special issue is expected to encourage both academics and practitioners to discuss future collaboration. Most contributions deal with integrated green and lean issues. Some academic papers evaluate sustainability. Case studies as technical papers or development reports have been provided by industrial contributors. Methodologies range from survey to life cycle assessment to simulation to implementation. The applications range from machine development for green production to national technical policy for sustainable manufacturing.

All papers were refereed through careful peer reviews. We would like to express my sincere appreciation to the authors for their submissions and to the reviewers for their invaluable efforts, as together they made possible the publication of this special issue.

Robotics has reached a top technological level in recent years, a level at which it can be successfully used not only in structured spaces (for less complex applications) but also increasingly in unstructured spaces. Robotics technology is now used effectively in hospitals for rehabilitation and assistive devices, in the home for domestic applications, in the space for autonomous robots and automated vehicles, in amusement parks for entertainment attractions, and on the ground for military applications. In industrial applications, robotics has enlarged its scope with high-speed robots, cooperative robots, and smart robotic devices for production set-ups. These new applications have created new challenges in robotics. New materials have been developed to make frames lighter and smarter, new actuators and sensors have been made in compliance with specific applications and for more advanced performance, new flexible gripper devices have been produced with superior control systems, and new interfaces have been developed that are integrated with the devices and easier to use. This special issue features 18 research articles related to the latest research results and practical case studies in robotics technology. Subjects include robots for rehabilitation, robots as assistive devices, robots for agriculture, robots for exploration, robots for automation and industrial applications, service robots, new actuators, new sensors, new gripping devices, new control strategies, and robotic systems. We deeply appreciate the careful efforts of all the authors and thank the reviewers for their incisive efforts. Without these contributions, this special issue could not have been printed. We hope that this special issue will trigger further research on robotics technology. Finally a special memory of Cesare Rossi, one of the authors, that died suddenly after the preparation of the manuscript.

Machine tools using numerical control (NC) devices are typical mechatronics products, and introducing them is a powerful way to automate plant production. NC machine tools in workshops meet the requirements of high accuracy and efficiency in the machining of a variety of parts and mold dies. Turning centers and machining centers are typical examples of such machine tools. Various cutting processes have been integrated in them to cope with the increase in machine parts that not only have complicated geometries but also must be made with high accuracy, in small quantities, and in a short machining time. In addition, turning and machining centers have been given multitasking capabilities, and the number of control axes has been increased so that complex products may be manufactured efficiently. Given that the strong attention and interest in multiaxis control and multitasking machine tools are rapidly increasing, it is fitting that the current state of the art of these tools and their practical and applicable technologies be presented. This special issue features 16 research articles – one review and 15 papers – related to the latest research results and practical case studies in multiaxis control and multitasking machining. Their subjects cover various advances in machine control, motion accuracy evaluation, machining error analysis, chatter vibration monitoring or suppression, trouble-free tool path generation, process planning, and new applications of the machine tools. We thank the authors for their contributions to this special issue, and we are sure that both non-specialists and specialists alike will find the information the authors provide both interesting and informative. Moreover, we deeply appreciate the reviewers for their incisive efforts. Without these contributions, this special issue could not have been realized. We truly hope that this special issue will trigger further research on multiaxis control and multitasking machining.

Industry 4.0, a new industry initiative in Germany, is impacting strongly both on industry and on society. Many newspapers and technical magazines are publishing the state of the art articles on topics such as smart manufacturing based on IoT (Internet of Things), CPPS (Cyber Physical Production System), and cloud-based systems. Other parts of the world have started initiatives such as the IIC (Industrial Internet Consortium) in the US and the IVI (Industrial Value Chain Initiative) in Japan. Smart manufacturing is the key concept underlying these new initiatives. This special issue addresses the most advanced research on smart manufacturing. Subjects cover cyber-physical product-service systems, machinery production lines, manufacturing system simulation, lot-size energy-consumption dependence per production throughput unit, additive manufacturing processes, sensor network technology, production management technology, supply chain management technology, and smart manufacturing reviews. We thank the authors for their careful work and the reviewers for their incisive efforts without which this special issue would not have been possible. We hope that this special issue will trigger further research on smart manufacturing and its advances.

Laser machining is widely applied in manufacturing processes thanks to the laser oscillator’s improved stability and to the emergence of new laser types. Laser machining has gone from microscale applications, such as semiconductor dicing to large-scale applications such as automobile-body welding, and laser power now ranges from several watts to several kilowatts. Machining tasks using lasers have expanded from conventional drilling, cutting, and welding to additive manufacturing, the internal machining of transparent materials, and surface texturing. Understanding these processes comprehensively requires that we study individual elements such as oscillators, focal optics, scanners and stages, and numerical control.

This special issue features 13 research articles – one review and 12 papers – related to the most recent advances in laser machining. Their subjects cover the various machining processes of drilling, deposition, welding, photo curing, texturing, and annealing on the latest laser machines and in the newest applications.

We deeply appreciate the careful work of all the authors and thank the reviewers for their incisive efforts. Without these contributions, this special issue could not have been created. We also hope that this special issue will trigger further research on laser machining advances.

As the third special issue on Design and Manufacturing for Environmental Sustainability for IJAT, this issue focuses on design and manufacturing theories and methodologies for achieving environmental sustainability and the topic of the special issue seems to be becoming established in this journal.

This special issue contains six articles consisting of a wide variety of rather novel topics emerging in the domain of design and manufacturing for environmental sustainability. The first three deal with design problem in the broader sense: designing of system of systems taking distributed energy generation systems, upgradable design problems, and selection problem of end-of-life products recovery options integrated from the view of environmental load and cost. The last three papers deal with manufacturing problems in the broader sense – motion extraction problems for disassembly automation, machine tool energy efficiency, and optimization problems related to machine tool operating conditions for increasing environmental sustainability. Some papers, revised and extended at the editor’s request, were presented originally at EcoDesign 2015, the ninth international symposium on environmentally conscious design and inverse manufacturing, held in Tokyo, Japan, 2015.

The editor thanks the authors and reviewers for their comprehensive efforts in making this special issue possible and hopes these articles will encourage further research on design and manufacturing for environmental sustainability.

Actuators are defined as transducers that convert electrical energy to mechanical movement. Similar to sensors and control systems, actuators are essential devices in various industrial applications, such as robotics, precise positioning systems, and automobiles. The performance required of each actuator depends on its practical application, and the actuators may determine the total performance of the systems. Various types of actuators have been proposed, not only for high efficiency, torque, and power output but also for flexibility, miniaturization, and drivability under extreme conditions. In the case of fluid-based actuators, the control of the working gas or liquid becomes an indispensable technology. The creation of a device with a simple structure yet multiple degrees of freedom would be quite worthy of research. Such an actuator would lead to future applications, which would in turn enable humanlike movements in robots, ultra-precise positioning systems under extreme high (or low) temperature conditions, or MEMS devices that operate in the human body. This special issue, entitled Innovative Actuators, is a collection of seventeen papers related to these considerations. In addition to electromagnetic motors, various types of actuators, such as piezoelectric, electrostatic, and pneumatic motors. Although the primary focus is on new driving principles, the fabrication process for micro devices and the control system are also involved. These proposals are attractive and sure to stimulate further innovative research. I hope you enjoy this special issue, but beyond that I hope that the papers in it contribute to your future research and innovative breakthroughs. On a final note, I wish to express my appreciation to the authors, reviewers, publisher (Mr. S. Wakai), and two editors (Assoc. Prof. T. Kanda and Assoc. Prof. K. Takemura) for their devoted work on this special issue, Innovative Actuators. Takeshi Morita June 23, 2016