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.

As part of the present work, polymer composites used in 3D printing technology, especially in Melted and Extruded Manufacturing (MEM) technology, were obtained. The influence of modified fillers such as alumina modified silica, quaternary ammonium bentonite, lignin/silicon dioxide hybrid filler and unmodified multiwalled carbon nanotubes on the properties of polycarbonate (PC) composites was investigated. In the first part of the work, the polymer and its composites containing 0.5–3 wt.% filler were used to obtain a filament using the proprietary technological line. The moldings for testing functional properties were obtained with the use of 3D printing and injection molding techniques. In the next part of the work, the rheological properties—mass flow rate (MFR) and mechanical properties—Rockwell hardness, Charpy impact strength and static tensile strength with Young’s modulus were examined. The structure of the obtained composites was also described and determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The porosity, roughness and dimensional stability of samples obtained by 3D printing were also determined. On the other hand, the physicochemical properties were presented on the basis of the research results using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray scattering analysis (WAXS) and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Additionally, the electrical conductivity of the obtained composites was investigated. On the basis of the obtained results, it was found that both the amount and the type of filler significantly affected the functional properties of the composites tested in the study.

Tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field of science that has developed very intensively in recent years. The first part of this review describes materials with medical and dental applications from the following groups: metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites. Both positive and negative sides of their application are presented from the point of view of medical application and mechanical properties. A variety of techniques for the manufacture of biomedical components are presented in this review. The main focus of this work is on additive manufacturing and 3D printing, as these modern techniques have been evaluated to be the best methods for the manufacture of medical and dental devices. The second part presents devices for skull bone reconstruction. The materials from which they are made and the possibilities offered by 3D printing in this field are also described. The last part concerns dental transitional implants (scaffolds) for guided bone regeneration, focusing on polylactide–hydroxyapatite nanocomposite due to its unique properties. This section summarises the current knowledge of scaffolds, focusing on the material, mechanical and biological requirements, the effects of these devices on the human body, and their great potential for applications.

An important factor having an impact on the condition of machine parts is their surface topography. For instance, in the production of a molded element in casting or injection molding processes, the surface topography of the molding cavity has a significant impact on the surface condition of the product. An analysis of the wear of a mold made with the PolyJet technique was performed in this work, and we examined the surface topography using the stylus method after casting a wax model of the turbine blade. The surface topographies showed a gradual degradation of the mold cavity surface. After the manufacture of 40 castings, there was a significant deformation of the microstructure of the mold cavity. The maximum height value (Sz) parameter had the most dynamic change from 18.980 to 27.920 μm. Its growth dynamics are mainly influenced by maximum peak height (Sp) rather than the maximum pit height (Sv) parameter. In the case of the root mean square height (Sq) and arithmetic mean height (Sa), their gradual increases can be seen from 2.578 to 3.599 μm and from 2.038 to 2.746 μm. In the case of the value of the skewness (Ssk) parameter, a small positive skew was observed. As for the kurtosis (Sku) values, the distributions are clearly leptokurtic.

This paper presents the process for creating an integrated design and manufacturing environment supporting 3D printing as part of the structure of Industry 4.0. This process is based on a developed framework for the design of modern automated and computerized infrastructure. The task of the described system is to combine all the steps included in the operating range of incremental systems based on an IT platform by integrating data from individual areas, such as IT systems supporting remote 3D printing. The proposed framework for incremental processes is a universal solution that can be defined in detail by a single organizational unit running 3D printing, as well as by a cluster of entities related to 3D printing. In the initial phase, the framework design includes a set of guidelines for IT (Information Technology) systems that facilitate the construction of individual elements and the creation of communication interfaces. In subsequent stages, the framework may already implement elements of the access and communication program interface, as well as guidelines for the industrial components to be included. The proposed framework for additive technologies is based on modern IT tools that enable the creation of geographically and functionally possible prototyping systems that can be integrated into the structure of Industry 4.0. To create optimal processes and economic systems, the principles of the construction and integration of individual services and equipment were developed. This new comprehensive approach is proposed in the present paper as a coherent framework. Moreover, the proposed solution has great potential for use in the design and production processes of various industries, such as chemicals, materials and construction.