Journal profile · Engineering-Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Manufacturing Letters
ISSN 2213-8463 · Elsevier
Manufacturing Letters: CAS Zone 4 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.8 (journal website); hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,000; review about 125 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 283 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Manufacturing Letters is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 4 of Engineering in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Technologies, Additive Manufacturing Materials and Processes and Manufacturing Process and Optimization, together about 35% of its articles. Its main subfields are Mechanical Engineering and Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Published by SMEManufacturing Letters (MFGLET) is an online, rapid-publication journal providing a home for short, high-quality papers from the international academic and industry communities on important advances from all interdisciplinary research areas impacting manufacturing.The journal promotes an exchange of ideas and communicates significant developments of immediate interest to others engaged in formative research that contributes to progress in manufacturing techniques, models, processes, and systems.Original concise papers are encouraged describing new kinds of manufacturing based on new processes or materials, new concepts in manufacturing systems or enterprises, or novel ways to look at old problems and solutions in manufacturing that show promise. Papers merit acceptance, for example, by detailing the key elements of an emerging field of research, describing the potential of an experimental or theoretical improvement, or demonstrating a new contribution to practice or policy. Papers should not merely confirm or extend previous work.To meet a vital need to rapidly disseminate current scientific findings, Manufacturing Letters uses a streamlined review process. Papers are peer reviewed and (1) accepted as written or (2) rejected within four (4) weeks of submission. Rejected papers can be revised but must be resubmitted as new manuscripts.Papers are limited to 1500 words, not including the abstract, references, and a maximum of four (4) figures or tables. Papers must be original contributions, not simultaneously submitted elsewhere, previously published or scheduled to be published. The language of the journal is English.Emerging research communicated in Manufacturing Letters is presumed to be ongoing; therefore, authors are encouraged to submit a full-length journal paper to an appropriate publication outlet, such as the Journal of Manufacturing Systems or Journal of Manufacturing Processes .Manufacturing Letters is an official journal of SME, in cooperation with the North American Manufacturing Research Institution of SME (NAMRI/SME).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Engineering-Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
Editor-in-chief Laine MearsPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 27, Germany 8, Mexico 6, Canada 3, Mainland China 2 (59 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing TechnologiesEngineering14.4%
- Additive Manufacturing Materials and ProcessesEngineering11.8%
- Manufacturing Process and OptimizationEngineering8.8%
- Advanced machining processes and optimizationEngineering7.9%
- Advanced Surface Polishing TechniquesEngineering6.3%
- Digital Transformation in IndustryEngineering5.3%
- Welding Techniques and Residual StressesEngineering5%
- Advanced Machining and Optimization TechniquesEngineering3.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Engineering Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Engineering, Manufacturing | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Engineering, Manufacturing | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Multidisciplinary | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.54LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.81LetPub ·
- h-index
- 57OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 416OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.89OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 44.78%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 280LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,442 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 59 | 20 | 8 |
| 2025 | 283 | 232 | 464 |
| 2024 | 276 | 217 | 1,317 |
| 2023 | 222 | 192 | 1,877 |
| 2022 | 191 | 150 | 1,842 |
| 2021 | 82 | 36 | 1,483 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
125 dayssubmission to acceptance
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- First decision after review
- 67 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 125 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 85 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,000 / EUR 1,870 / GBP 1,600 / JPY 248,060 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 1,500 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted1
- original concise papersOriginal concise papers are encouraged describing new kinds of manufacturing based on new processes or materials, new concepts in manufacturing systems or enter…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 2213-8463
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Manufacturing Letters
What CAS zone is Manufacturing Letters in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Manufacturing Letters is in Zone 4 of Engineering, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Engineering, Manufacturing / Materials Science, Multidisciplinary. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Engineering. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Manufacturing Letters?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 2.8; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 4, h-index 57.
How long does peer review take at Manufacturing Letters?
The publisher reports about 125 days (submission to acceptance). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Manufacturing Letters?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 1,500 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Manufacturing Letters based?
Of the 59 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (27), Germany (8) and Mexico (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Manufacturing Letters?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Manufacturing Letters is indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Is Manufacturing Letters open access, and what is the APC?
Manufacturing Letters is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,000.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .