3D & 4D Printing—Metrological Problems
A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Manufacturing Processes and Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: 3D/4D printing; additive manufacturing; FDM/FFF; PJM; SLS; SLM; metrology; tribology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: 3D/4D printing; mechanical properties of thin-walled models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Over the past 25 years, we have seen significant advancements in modern manufacturing technologies, such as 3D printing. This applies to both new additive manufacturing technologies and materials. This contributes to increased dimensional accuracy of manufactured objects by improving the design of 3D printers and allows for the optimization of mechanical, tribological, and other functional characteristics. Current materials used in 3D printing include plastics, ceramics, and metals, including materials with highly advanced properties such as biocompatibility and shape memory. This development has led to the emergence of a new field of manufacturing technology called 4D printing. This method incorporates another, fourth dimension–time. The shape or properties of a structure can be modified through the implementation of 4D printing. Four-dimensional printing is a new manufacturing philosophy. Following the initial success of the Special Issue of Materials devoted to "3D and 4D Printing in Engineering Applications", both the first and second editions, we are pleased to present this new issue, thematically combining 3D/4D printing with modern metrological issues.
Additionally, this issue is a continuation of the annual conference: 3D 4D PRINTING-Metrological Problems. The conference is held on 17–19 September 2025, in Kielce, Poland in hybrid form.
SI journal will publish innovative research, review articles, and communications on modern additive manufacturing technologies and the materials used in them, including innovative measurement tools that address the realities of the industrial transformation towards Industry 4.0. An important aspect of 3D printing is the developing standardization process, which is also the focus of this Special Issue. The presented Special Issue aims at the publication of the results of both theoretical and experimental research, including research on the following areas:
- 3D/4D printing;
- Rapid prototyping
- Unconventional manufacturing;
- Metrology in 3D printing;
- Surface texture analysis;
- Quality of 3D/4D printed parts;
- Tribology in 3D printing;
- Mechanical properties investigation;
- Thin-walled models
- Cellular structures
- Composites materials;
- 3D/4D printing engineering applications;
- 3D printing in Industry 4.0 and 5.0;
- Robotics in 3D printing;
- Novel 3D printing systems;
- Review of progress in 3D/4D printing;
- Manufacturing problems;
- Machining of 3D printed elements;
- Process control;
- Simulation analysis.
Prof. Dr. Tomasz Kozior
Dr. Jerzy Bochnia
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- 3D/4D printing
- thin-walled models
- cellular structures
- metrology
- unconventional manufacturing
- Industry 4.0
- process control
- tribology
- composites materials
- polymers in 3D printing
- simulation
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