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Integrating additive manufacturing (AM) tools in traditional mold-making provides complex yet affordable sand molds and cores. AM processes such as selective laser sintering (SLS) and Binder jetting three-dimensional printing (BJ3DP) are widely used for patternless sand mold and core production. This study aims to perform an in-depth literature review to understand the current status, determine research gaps and propose future research directions. In addition, obtain valuable insights into authors, organizations, countries, keywords, documents, sources and cited references, sources and authors.

This study followed the systematic literature review (SLR) to gather relevant rapid sand casting (RSC) documents via Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCO databases. Furthermore, bibliometrics was performed via the Visualization of Similarities (VOSviewer) software.

An evaluation of 116 documents focused primarily on commercial AM setups and process optimization of the SLS. Process optimization studies the effects of AM processes, their input parameters, scanning approaches, sand types and the integration of computer-aided design in AM on the properties of sample. The authors performed detailed bibliometrics of 80 out of 120 documents via VOSviewer software.

This review focuses primarily on the SLS AM process.

A SLR and bibliometrics using VOSviewer software for patternless sand mold and core production via the AM process.

Producing superior-quality ductile cast iron demands the use of various intricate inoculants. In addition to iron and silicon, these materials also include alloying elements like calcium, barium, cerium, bismuth and zirconium. These elements are effective in minimizing carbide solidification and enhancing the formation of eutectic cells, thereby resulting in improved cast iron quality.

This article discusses the findings of an investigation on how various inoculants impact critical thermal analysis parameters such as undercooling, recalescence and their correlation with the nucleation of graphite nodules and shrinkage tendency.

For the study, five distinct inoculants with varying active components in their chemical composition were utilized. The particular formulation of the inoculant has a notable impact on the extent of undercooling during the solidifying process of ductile cast iron. Investigation indicates that incorporating inoculant reduces the temperature at which austenite dendrites form and raises the eutectic freezing temperature. Upon analyzing the microstructure, it is found that the inclusion of inoculation led to a rise in the nodule count from 103 to 272 nodules.

An increased graphite factor, which denotes the growth of graphite nodules during the subsequent stage of the eutectic reaction, supports the benefits of inoculation. Ce and Bi-inoculation have increased the growth of graphite nodules in the cast area during solidification compared to other inoculant formulations. This enhanced production helps in decreasing the size of macroporosity.

The lean manufacturing (LM) approach is a highly effective method that can be implemented in any industry to streamline production processes, meet customer demand and eliminate any unnecessary waste. This paper aims to propose and evaluate a generic project-based framework grounded on the LM approach for reducing lead time in foundry processes.

Using design science research (DSR), we developed a generic LM project-based framework for reducing lead time in foundry processes.

The developed framework provides an alternative method to implement LM projects to reduce lead time and nonvalue activities in foundry factories.

The findings of this research can guide better lean practitioners for lead time reduction in foundry processes.

This paper contributes to the operational excellence literature when discussing the impact of the LM approach on foundry processes. In addition, the paper provides a roadmap for reducing lead time in a foundry company.

This study aims to address sustainability challenges in construction by exploring the structural performance and environmental benefits of incorporating pozzolanic waste glass (WG) into ultra-high-performance reinforced concrete (UHPRC) beams.

A comprehensive evaluation of UHPRC beams was conducted, incorporating varying ratios (10%, 20% and 30%) of WG powder alongside a consistent 0.75% inclusion of basalt fiber. The investigation encompassed the entire UHPRC production process, including curing, casting and molding, while evaluating workability and physical properties. Furthermore, the environmental impact, particularly CO₂ emissions associated with UHPRC mixture components, was also assessed. Type K thermocouples were employed to analyze temperature dynamics during fabrication, providing valuable insights.

The findings demonstrate positive implications for using pozzolanic WG as a cement substitute in UHPRC beams.

This research stands out for its unique focus on the combined effects of incorporating recycled pozzolanic glass waste on the structural performance and environmental footprint of UHPRC beams.

The purpose of this study is to prepare a state-of-the-art review on advanced ceramic materials including their fabrication techniques, characteristics, applications and wettability.

This review paper presents the various types of advanced ceramic materials according to their compounding elements, fabrication techniques of advanced ceramic powders as well as their consolidation, their characteristics, applications and wetting properties. Hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of advanced ceramic materials are described in the paper with their state-of-the-art application areas. Optical properties of fine ceramics with their intrinsic characteristics are also presented within. Special focus is given to the brief description of application-based manipulation of wetting properties of advanced ceramics in the paper.

The study of wetting/hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity of ceramic materials is important by which it can be further modified to achieve the required applications. It also makes some sense that the material should be tested for its wetting properties when it is going to be used in some important applications like biomedical and dental. Also, these advanced ceramics are now often used in the fabrication of filters and membranes to purify liquid/water so the study of wetting characteristics of these materials becomes essential. The optical properties of advanced ceramics are equally making them suitable for many state-of-the-art applications. Dental, medical, imaging and electronics are the few sectors that use advanced ceramics for their optical properties.

This review paper includes various advanced ceramic materials according to their compounding elements, different fabrication techniques of powders and their consolidation, their characteristics, various application area and hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties.

One of the most contested and anticipated research issues is the acceptability of using recycled aggregates instead of fresh aggregates. This study aims to look at the possibility of replacing fresh aggregates with 15%, 30%, 60% and 100% recycled aggregates.

The research is divided into two stages. The compressive, split tensile, flexural and bond strength of the various mixes were examined in the first phase using untreated recycled concrete aggregates (RCA). The second phase entails chemically treating RCA with a 10% 0.1 M sodium metasilicate solution to evaluate differences in strength, indicating the success of the treatment performed. Microstructural experiments such as scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were also conducted to evaluate the formation of interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in treated and untreated RCA specimens.

The observed findings reveal a decrease in concrete strength with increasing RCA concentration; however, when treated RCA was used, the strengths increased significantly when compared to untreated samples. The findings also include curves indicating the correlation between compressive strength and other mechanical strength parameters for an optimum mix of concrete prepared with 30% RCA replacement.

The study through its novel approach, demonstrates the effect of pretreatment of RCA in the absence of any standardized chemical treatment methodology and presents significant potential in minimizing reliance on fresh aggregates used in concrete, lowering building costs and promoting the use of waste materials in construction.

This study aims to determine the best way to apply material flow cost accounting (MFCA) in an SME environment with the goal of visualizing negative product cost during the manufacturing process and pinpointing places where improvements can be made.

This study uses a case study approach to demonstrate the usefulness of the MFCA tool in an SME in India that produces aluminum energy products used in the electrical power sector through gravity die casting.

According to the results, the company’s gravity die casting has a negative product cost margin of 27.38% as a result of MFCA analysis. It is also determined that the negative material cost is Rs. 22,919, the negative system cost is Rs. 462 and the negative energy cost is Rs. 1,069 for processing 300 kg of raw material. The typical monthly raw material processing for this company is 45,000 kg.

This research shows that MFCA’s implementation will improve the company’s environmental consciousness and bottom line. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to implement MFCA in aluminum gravity die casting of electrical parts manufacturing.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the mechanical characteristics and optimization of wear parameters of hybrid (TiO₂ + Y₂O₃) nanoparticles with Al matrix using squeeze casting technique.

The hybrid aluminium matrix nanocomposites (HAMNCs) were fabricated with varying concentrations of titanium oxide (TiO₂) and yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃), from 2.5 to 10 Wt.% in 2.5 Wt.% increments. Dry sliding wear test variables were optimized using the Taguchi method.

The introduction of hybrid nanoparticles in the aluminium (Al) matrix was evenly distributed in contrast to the base matrix. HAMNC6 (5 Wt.% TiO₂ + 5 Wt.% Y₂O₃) reported the maximum enhancement in mechanical properties (tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength and density) and decrease in porosity% and elongation% among other HAMNCs. The results showed that the optimal combination of parameters to achieve the lowest wear rate was A3B3C1, or 15 N load, 1.5 m/s sliding velocity and 200 m sliding distance. The sliding distance showed the greatest effect on the dry sliding wear rate of HAMNC6 followed by applied load and sliding velocity. The fractured surfaces of the tensile sample showed traces of cracking as well as substantial craters with fine dimples and the wear worn surfaces were caused by abrasion, cracks and delamination of HAMNC6.

Squeeze-cast Al-reinforced hybrid (TiO₂+Y₂O₃) nanoparticles have been investigated for their impact on mechanical properties and optimization of wear parameters.

This study aims to analyze the effect of interrupted rolling on microstructures and mechanical properties of Mg–8Li–xGr composite is investigated.

Graphene reinforced composite was developed by using stir casting route and rolled with different reduction in thickness such as 50, 75 and 90%. Microstructure, hardness and tensile characteristics of the rolled samples were evaluated.

Investigation on microstructures of rolled composite depicts that increase in rolling reduction % resulted in fine elongated grains and decreased aspect ratio. Further, it was also observed that increasing percentage of rolling reduction promotes the dissolution of ß Li phase and as a result the ductility of composite decreases. Interrupted rolled samples showcase higher hardness when compared with as-cast composite. Composite rolled with 90% reduction displays higher yield strength of 219 MPa. Hardening capacity of composites decreases with increase in reduction percentage due to the effective reduction in grain size.

Investigation on the influence of interrupted rolling on microstructures and mechanical properties of Mg graphene composite. The in-depth understanding of this will help to improve its wide spread application.

This research proposes a viable method of slab and shore load computation for the partial striking technique utilized in high-rise construction projects to optimize the use of horizontal formwork. The proposed Partial Striking Simplified Method (PSSM) is designed to be utilized by industry practitioners to schedule the construction operations of casting floors in order to control the formwork costs incurred throughout the completion of a project.

The article presents the PSSM for calculating slab and shore loads in multi-story building construction. It introduces the concept of “clearing before striking,” where shore supports are partially removed after a few days of pouring fresh concrete. The PSSM procedure is validated through numerical analysis and compared to other simplified approaches. Additionally, a user-friendly Python program based on the PSSM procedure is developed to explore the capability of the PSSM procedure and is used to study the variations in slab load, shoring level, concrete grade and cycle time.

The study successfully developed a more efficient and reliable method for estimating the loads on shores and slabs using partial striking techniques for multi-story building construction. Compared to other simplified approaches, the PSSM procedure is simpler and more precise, as demonstrated through numerical analysis. The mean of shore and slab load ratios are 1.08 and 1.07, respectively, which seems to have a slight standard deviation of 0.29 and 0.21 with 3D numerical analysis. The Python program developed for load estimation is effective in exploring the capability of the proposed PSSM procedure. The Python program's ability to identify the floor under maximum load and determine the specific construction stage provides valuable insights for multi-story construction, enabling informed decision-making and optimization of construction methods.

High-rise construction in Indian cities is booming, though this trend is not shared by all the country's major metropolitan areas. The growing construction sector in urban cities demands rapid construction for efficient utilization of formwork to control the construction costs of project. The proposed procedure is the best option to optimize the formwork construction cost, construction cycle time, the suitable formwork system with optimum cost, concrete grade for the adopted level of shoring in partaking and many more.

The proposed PSSM reduces the calculation complexity of the existing simplified method. This is done by considering the identical slab stiffness and identical shore layout for uniform load distribution throughout the structure. This procedure utilizes a two-step load distribution calculation for clearing phase. Initially, the 66% prop load of highest floor level is distributed uniformly over the lower interconnected slabs. In the second step, the total prop load is removed equally from all slabs below it. This makes the load distribution user-friendly for the industry expert.