Digital Twins for Surface Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Systems

The convergence of advanced manufacturing, surface engineering, and digital technologies is transforming how materials and components are designed, produced, and optimised. Digital twins’ virtual representations of physical systems, integrating physics-based models with real-time data, are emerging as key tools for predictive and adaptive manufacturing. While widely applied in large-scale systems, their use in surface engineering and functional coatings remains an important and evolving research area.Surface properties play a critical role in determining performance, including adhesion, corrosion resistance, tribology, thermal behaviour, and durability. Digital twins offer new opportunities to link process parameters, microstructure, and surface functionality, enabling more efficient, data-driven, and sustainable manufacturing systems.This Research Topic focuses on advancing digital twin applications for surface engineering and advanced manufacturing. We welcome contributions on:• Digital twins for coating processes, additive manufacturing, and surface modification • AI-driven and physics-informed modelling for surface performance prediction • Multi-scale modelling linking microstructure to functional behaviour • Real-time monitoring, sensing, and closed-loop manufacturing systems • Data-driven optimisation of manufacturing processes and surface properties • Integration of physics-based and machine learning approaches • Lifecycle, reliability, and sustainability considerations in digital manufacturing • Applications in tribology, corrosion, thermal management, and functional surfaces By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives from materials science, mechanical engineering, and data science, this collection aims to highlight innovative approaches that connect process, structure, and performance within intelligent manufacturing systems. Topic editors: Shalini Mohanty, Mantra Prasad Satpathy, Zarak Khan Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79198/digital-twins-for-surface-engineering-and-advanced-manufacturing-systems