Additive Manufacturing and Molding of Polymer Systems

Dear Colleagues,

At the current stage of development in polymer processing techniques, it is clear that for most applications, the most favorable properties for polymer products can be achieved through molding techniques, primarily injection molding, compression molding, or even extrusion blow molding. All of these techniques share a common feature—a closed mold in which the final shaping process of polymer products takes place. Unfortunately, the cost and time of tooling production are the biggest drawbacks of these techniques, especially in low-volume production. Until the 1990s, the only alternative to this type of problem was subtractive machining, but its implementation generated a very-high unit cost of the product. The development of additive manufacturing techniques, particularly the popularization of printing techniques such as FDM and SLA, has partially solved this problem. Currently, it is possible to produce small batches of products or product prototypes very quickly without the need for tooling. However, additive manufacturing techniques, like classical molding methods, have many limitations, which are partly related to the properties of polymeric materials. Despite the fundamental differences between additive and volumetric processing, certain phenomena related to polymer materials constitute a common point between these techniques. The key issue for all polymer processing methods remains the volume change caused by temperature changes, especially during phase transitions (melting, solidification, and glass transition).

This Special Issue focuses on all aspects of materials engineering related to the subject of additive manufacturing (3D printing) and molding techniques of polymer systems, including the following:

• Preparation and characterization of advanced polymer blends and composites;
• Novel methods of additive manufacturing and modifications of the already existing techniques;
• Innovations in polymer molding technologies: injection molding, compression molding, and any related methods, including flexible manufacturing;
• The research on new materials and methods intended for the production of molds and tools, including the concept of tool manufacturing using 3D printing techniques, soft-tooling, and the assessment of tool life in the above-mentioned processes;
• The research on the recycling of polymer materials and reducing their environmental impact, including research on biodegradable and bio-based materials.

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue. Full papers, communications, and reviews that address advances in additive manufacturing and the molding of polymer systems are welcome.

Dr. Jacek Andrzejewski
Dr. Aminul Islam
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Polymers 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 2700 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.