The objective of this publication is to present a quality control methodology for additive manufacturing products made of polymer materials, where the methodology varies depending on the intended use. The models presented in this paper are divided into those that are manufactured for the purpose of visual presentation and those that directly serve the needs of the manufacturing process. The authors also a propose a comprehensive control system for the additive manufacturing process to meet the needs of Industry 4.0. Depending on the intended use of the models, the quality control process is divided into three stages: data control, manufacturing control, and post-processing control. Research models were made from the following materials: RGD 720 photopolymer resin (PolyJet method), ABS M30 thermoplastic (FDM method), E-Partial photopolymer resin (DLP method), PLA thermoplastic (FFF method), and ABS thermoplastic (MEM method). The applied measuring tools had an accuracy of at least an order of magnitude higher than that of the manufacturing technologies used. The results show that the PolyJet method is the most accurate, and the MEM method is the least accurate. The findings also confirm that the selection of materials, 3D printing methods, and measurement methods should always account not only for the specificity and purpose of the model but also for economic aspects, as not all products require high accuracy and durability.

The aim of the study was to identify the state of residential buildings in terms of energy consumption and modernisation in Poland against the background of the EU, and to determine factors and activities increasing households′ interest in net-zero energy buildings. In the European Union, we are observing a tendency to increase the energy efficiency of buildings, including residential, and decarbonise building stock by 2050. The objective of the undertaken activities is to reduce energy use and the negative impacts of the use of buildings on the environment. Attaining this objective requires modernising many buildings. This dissertation includes an investigation into the condition of buildings in Poland from the aspect of energy use and the kind of carriers of this energy, and also into another issue: what factors and activities may increase society′s interest in net-zero energy buildings, and in the use of energy from renewable sources in residential buildings. The studies were conducted with the use of the data provided by the Central Statistical Office and EUROSTAT, and also of the reports of the European Commission, the data of the Central Emission Register of Buildings (CERB) and the Odysse–Mure database. An important source of information was also surveys conducted with the application of CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview), and also of PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interview), among 387 households in Poland. For the purpose of analysing the results of the studies, the methods of descriptive statistics, the chi-square test of independence, the ANOVA test of Kruskal–Wallis and the Mann–Whitney U-test were used. The analysis gives rise to the conclusion that, in residential buildings, household′s annual primary energy demand is dependent on the year in which a building was commissioned. Newer buildings can boast smaller heat energy use. Simultaneously, ever more households are undertaking activities that will result in the thermal modernisation of residential buildings. The studies have shown that the development of net-zero energy buildings requires undertaking activities in the scope of introducing allowances and subsidies, and also increasing social awareness in the scope of this kind of building. Interest in buildings using solely renewable energy sources is contributed to by raising energy prices, and also the falling prices of required installations.

This work concerns automation of the training process, using modern information technologies, including virtual reality (VR). The starting point is an observation that automotive and aerospace industries require effective methods of preparation of engineering personnel. In this context, the technological process of preparing operations of a CNC numerical machine has been extracted. On this basis, a dedicated virtual reality environment, simulating manufacturing of a selected aircraft landing gear component, was created. For a comprehensive analysis of the pros and cons of the proposed approach, four forms of training, involving a physical CNC machine, a physical simulator, a software simulator, and the developed VR environment were instantiated. The features of each training form were analysed in terms of their potential for industrial applications. A survey, using the Net Promoter Score method, was also conducted among a target group of engineers, regarding the potential of use of each training form. As a result, the advantages and disadvantages of all four training forms were captured. They can be used as criteria for selecting the most effective training form.

The article presents the place of 3D printing in the manufacturing and operational process. It analyzes selected incremental technologies in the product life cycle. It describes selected processes for testing the properties of materials used in 3D pr...