Preface
Jonathan Lawrence and Lin Li
The 38th International Manufacturing Automated Systems Technology Applications Design Organization and Management Research (MATADOR) Conference held in Taiwan from 28–30 March 2015. The MATADOR Conference was established in 1959, which makes it one of the longest running conferences in the field of manufacturing. It is a truly international conference and attracts high quality peer reviewed papers and delegates from countries all around the world.
The 38th International MATADOR Conference provided a forum for the presentation and discussion of original contributions to the principles, techniques and applications in the areas of Manufacturing Processes, Technology, Systems Design and Integration, Metrology, and Management. Special themes of the conference were: Additive manufacturing (3D printing); Advances in machining science and machine tool technology; Bio-manufacturing; Micro/Nano fabrication and applications including graphene and 2D materials; Resource efficient (sustainable) manufacturing; Welding and joining technologies; and Laser processing.
This special issue Lasers in Engineering is comprised of selected peer reviewed papers from the Laser processing section of the conference. The resulting issue is a wonderful compendium of 12 articles that cover a range of topics: laser cutting; laser microwelding; laser forming; laser deposition; laser surface engineering – peening, micropeening and texturing; and the mathematical modelling of laser processes.
It has been a wonderful opportunity to edit this special edition – the third time the laser processing section of MATADOR has become a special issue of Lasers in Engineering. We are greatly appreciative of the work of the MATADOR Organizing Committee and the Session Chairs. Finally, we must acknowledge all the people around the world active in the exciting research area of laser engineering, whose work is advancing the field ever more so with every passing year – as evidenced by this special issue.
Prof. Jonathan Lawrence
Coventry University, UK
Prof. Lin Li
Coventry University, UK