The performance characterization of the manufacturing processes for additive manufacturing (AM) systems is a significant task for their standardization and implementation in the industry. Also, there is a large diversity of materials used in different AM processes. In the present paper, a methodology is proposed to evaluate, in different directions, the performance of an AM process and material characterization in terms of surface quality. This methodology consists of eight steps, based on a new surface inspection artifact and basic artifact orientations. The proposed artifact with several design configurations fits different AM systems sizes and meets the needs of customers. The effects of main factors on the surface roughness of up-facing platens of the artifacts are investigated using the statistical design of experiments. The proposed methodology is validated by a case study focused on PolyJet material jetting technology. Samples are manufactured of photopolymer resins and post-processed. Three factors (i.e., artifact orientation, platen orientation, and finish type) are considered for the investigation. The case study results show that the platen orientation, finish type, and their interaction have a significant influence on the surface roughness (Ra). The best Ra roughness results were obtained for the glossy finish type in the range of 0.5–4 μm.

Balsa wood is a natural cellular material with an excellent resistance-toweight ratio that is ideal for manufacturing the core of sandwich structures. In this study, sandwich specimens with a carbon-fiberreinforced polymer (CFRP) skin and a balsa wood core were tested with static and dynamic loading. Three-point flexural tests in static regime determined the mechanical characteristics of the CFRP-balsa specimens that were needed for subsequent fatigue strength tests. Also, experimental research was performed on the Charpy impact response of the CFRP-balsa sandwich specimens. This study implemented an accelerated fatigue testing method to identify and predict the mean fatigue life of the CFRP-balsa sandwich specimens subjected to cyclic fatigue via three-point flexural tests. Using the accelerated fatigue and the three-point flexural testing methodology on the CFRP-balsa sandwich specimens, the testing period was reduced by 11.9 times, and thus the material costs necessary for the tests were also reduced. Also, the breaking surfaces were analysed to reveal the failure modes of CFRP-balsa specimens subjected to static and fatigue tests at threepoint flexural and at impact tests.

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Achieving performance is the premise of an organization’s existence on the market. Performance may be achieved by optimal administration of resources, in order to ensure not only short-term but also long-term efficacy. In this sense, performance and sustainability have common support. A sustainable enterprise is, implicitly, a performing enterprise. To be performing or to be able to support sustainable development implies the concern for simultaneous achievement of three categories of objectives: Economic-financial, social and environmental. Therefore, performance measurement requires a global vision of what the entity’s performance means. Thus, the present paper has the major objective of determining the global performance within industrial systems, by indicators that are mainly used to assess the sustainability aspects of the manufacturing systems. Indicators, such as manufacturing costs, quality of manufacturing, energy consumption, personal motivation, and safety, were correlated by an advanced multicriterial analysis. The created model presents the novelty that it provides a total score for performance, allowing to highlight risk areas and to set up improvement measures. The model is an important tool for optimizing the planning processes in order to reduce the consumption of energy, materials or water.

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