Editorial

Citation

Campbell, I. (2015), "Editorial", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 21 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-11-2014-0161

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Rapid Prototyping Journal, Volume 21, Issue 1

I would like to dedicate this editorial to one of the people who has done most to advance research in additive manufacturing in the past three decades. Prof Jean-Pierre Kruth was recently recognised in his endeavours through the receipt of a Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science from The Franklin Institute. The Franklin Institute is a science museum and centre of science education and research based in Philadelphia. It seeks to promote the public understanding of science and technology, and has been making prestigious awards for over a century. Prof Kruth’s citation (see http://www.fi.edu/laureates/jean-pierre-kruth) was for “his pioneering research in additive manufacturing (3D printing), which led to many technological innovations and several global companies”. The citation goes on to say that “his work has inspired further research, enabled the creation of many patents, and built the foundation for others’ businesses”. I am sure that all of us who are aware of his work would heartily echo these words. The editorial team of the Rapid Prototyping Journal (RPJ) wish to add our congratulations to the many that Prof Kruth would certainly have received already.

Prof Kruth’s association with the RPJ goes right back to our first volume in 1995, when he was a co-author on two papers in Issue 3 of that volume. He was already researching into metal laser sintering, but, at that time, he was also pursuing research into recoating issues in stereolithography. Since then, Prof Kruth has been a named author on nine further RPJ papers, all on the topic of laser sintering/melting. The most recent of these papers was in the final issue of the 2014 volume. His 2005 paper entitled “Binding mechanisms in selective laser sintering and selective laser melting”, co-authored with P. Mercelis, J. Van Vaerenbergh, L. Froyen and M. Rombouts, was a seminal paper in the field of metal laser processing and has received over 230 citations. The following year, Prof Kruth kindly agreed to join the Editorial Advisory Board of the RPJ and is now one of our longest serving members. He is also one of our most regular and consistent reviewers and many of our authors will have unknowingly benefitted from his advice given through the reviewers’ comments they have received.

Although Prof Kruth will eventually be stepping down from his long-standing Full Professor position at the Catholic University of Leuven to become a Professor Emeritus, we all hope that he will continue to influence the work of the researchers at that institution, and others around the globe, for many years to come.

Ian Campbell