Mapping and prospective of additive manufacturing in the context of Industry 4.0 and 5.0

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the scientific impact of additive manufacturing in recent years, considering its evolution as an Industry 4.0 technology and also in the current context of Industry 5.0. For this aim, advanced statistics and scientometric tools have been used.Design/methodology/approachThis study aims to explore the trends and impacts of additive manufacturing, focusing on its evolution and its relationship with Industry 4.0 and 5.0. For this purpose, a scientometric study and a meta-analysis of data extracted from the scientific Scopus database have been carried out. R programming and specific bibliometric software have been used to conduct the research. Initially, the data were evaluated from various perspectives, including sources, topics and impact indexes, to assess trends derived from the volume of publications, the impact of sources and affiliations, as well as the production segmented by country and the relationships between authors from different countries. Subsequently, a meta-analysis on keywords has been carried out using two distinct clustering methodologies: link strength and fractionalization. The results obtained were compared to establish a specific taxonomy of the AM subtopics, considering AM as a single body of knowledge related to Industries 4.0 and 5.0 paradigms. The analyses carried out have shown the impact and strong evolution of additive manufacturing as a field of knowledge at the world level, both from the point of view of manufacturing processes and from the point of view of materials science. In addition, some differences have been detected depending on the country. As a result of the meta-analysis, four different subtopics have been detected, some of which are highly related to other technologies and approaches in Industries 4.0 and 5.0 paradigms. Additionally, it establishes a comprehensive taxonomy for AM research, serving as a foundational reference for future studies aimed at exploring the evolution and transformative impact of this technology.FindingsThe analyses carried out have shown the impact and strong evolution of additive manufacturing as a field of knowledge at the world level, both from the point of view of manufacturing processes and from the point of view of materials science. In addition, some differences have been detected depending on the country. As a result of the meta-analysis, four different subtopics have been detected: one of them directly related to the use of recently developed Industry 4.0 technologies in additive manufacturing. The results provide a starting point for prospective studies to understand the evolution and disruption of this technology.Originality/valueThe paper is original and is based on data systematically extracted from scientific databases. Then, a specific methodology based on different advanced tools was applied for scientometric evaluation and meta-analysis.