Technologies and materials for manufacturing

Research activities in Technologies and Materials for Manufacturing focus on the entire life cycle of materials, from characterization to processing, including joining techniques and advanced production technologies. A primary area involves the mechanical and functional characterization of materials, carried out through tensile, compression, bending, hardness, and fatigue tests, complemented by metallographic analysis, surface roughness measurements, and evaluations of behavior under accelerated aging and corrosion conditions.

In parallel, the machinability of materials is explored using subtractive technologies such as turning, milling, and drilling, to understand the interactions between material, tool, and process parameters, with the goal of optimizing machining operations and reducing waste.

Great attention is devoted to the development and characterization of innovative joints, particularly structural bonding and welding. For bonding, research focuses on surface preparation through mechanical, chemical, and physical treatments such as sandblasting, cold plasma, and laser treatment. The effectiveness of treated surfaces is assessed through wettability tests, roughness measurements, and adhesion tests. In welding, traditional techniques (MIG/MAG, TIG, shielded metal arc welding) are complemented by advanced approaches such as laser welding and Friction Stir Welding, aiming to improve the quality, strength, and sustainability of joints.

Another central topic is the integration of reverse engineering and additive manufacturing. 3D laser scanning enables the acquisition of geometries of existing objects, which can then be modified in a CAD environment and reproduced using 3D printing technologies, enabling rapid production of prototypes or functional parts.

Finally, our research on composite materials aims to develop lightweight, high-performance solutions ideal for advanced structural applications, while accelerated aging tests in climate chambers—with exposure to UV rays, salt spray, and controlled environmental conditions—allow for the assessment of material durability in critical operational contexts.

Involved Laboratories

Technologies, Systems, and Simulation – Unit of Metrology and Machine Tools

Technologies, Systems, and Simulation – Unit of Testing and Characterization of Materials, Joints and Welding, and Metallography

Representative Publications

  •      A comprehensive techno-economic and environmental comparison of plasma-treated adhesive-bonded thermoplastic composites - Chiara Mandolfino, Lucia Cassettari, Marco Pizzorni, Luigi Benvenuto, Enrico Lertora, Journal of Advanced Joining Processes, Vol 10, 2024, 100268.
  •      Adhesive bonding of glass-fibre thermoplastic composite: process optimisation and sustainability analysis using LCA methodology - Chiara Mandolfino, Lucia Cassettari, Enrico Lertora, Marco Pizzorni, International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Vol 130, Issue 11–12, 2024, Pages 5709–5726
  •      Development of a 3D printer optimized for rapid prototyping with continuous fiber fabrication technology - Matteo Benvenuto, Enrico Lertora, Chiara Mandolfino, Luigi Benvenuto, Alberto Parmiggiani, Mirko Prato, Marco Pizzorni, Materials Research Proceedings, Volume 35, 2023, Pages 163–172
  •       Influence of silica aerogel filler on strength-to-weight ratio of carbon/epoxy composite made by vacuum resin infusion - Luigi Benvenuto, Enrico Lertora, Chiara Mandolfino, Matteo Benvenuto, Marco Pizzorni, Materials Research Proceedings, Volume 35, 2023, Pages 367–375
  •      Bonding between additively manufactured parts and CFRP: An investigation to increase mechanical performance by acting on joint geometry - Matteo Benvenuto, Marco Pizzorni, Chiara Mandolfino, Luigi Benvenuto, Enrico Lertora, Materials Research Proceedings, Volume 54, 2025, Pages 189–198
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