3D industrial printing has become mainstream in manufacturing. This unique book is the first to focus on polymers as the printing material. The scientific literature with respect to 3D printing is collated in this monograph. The book opens with a chapter on foundational issues such and presents a broad overview of 3D printing procedures and the materials used therein. In particular, the methods of 3d printing are discussed and the polymers and composites used for 3d printing are detailed. The book details the main fields of applications areas which include electric and magnetic uses, medical applications, and pharmaceutical applications. Electric and magnetic uses include electronic materials, actuators, piezoelectric materials, antennas, batteries and fuel cells. Medical applications are organ manufacturing, bone repair materials, drug-eluting coronary stents, and dental applications. The pharmaceutical applications are composite tablets, transdermal drug delivery, and patient-specific liquid capsules. A special chapter deals with the growing aircraft and automotive uses for 3D printing, such as with manufacturing of aircraft parts and aircraft cabins. In the field of cars, 3D printing is gaining importance for automotive parts (brake components, drives), for the fabrication of automotive repair systems, and even 3D printed vehicles.

This book presents a unique approach to developing lightweight feedstock material for 3D printing of structural components for weight-sensitive structural applications across aerospace, automobile, and marine regimes. In addition to making wide feedstock materials choices available for AM industry, the content also presents a novel approach of 3D printing of lightweight core sandwich composites, all at once. It discusses the process of fused filament fabrication (FFF) as one of the most widely used additive manufacturing (AM) techniques to fabricate lightweight complex functional parts with zero tooling cost, lower energy, and reduced material consumption. The chapters presented in this book deal with a special class of lightweight feedstock material development, synthesis of the developed filaments, optimization of 3D printing parameters on a commercially available FFF-based printer, mechanical and dynamic property investigations of prints, and finally demonstration of 3D-printed industrial-scale lightweight components. This book guides students, researchers, and industrial professionals in lightweight materials design and development.

3D and 4D Printing of Polymer Nanocomposite Materials: Processing, Applications, and Challenges covers advanced 3D and 4D printing processes and the latest developments in novel polymer-based printing materials, thus enabling the reader to understand and benefit from the advantages of this groundbreaking technology. The book presents processes, materials selection, and printability issues, along with sections on the preparation of polymer composite materials for 3D and 4D printing. Across the book, advanced printing techniques are covered and discussed thoroughly, including fused deposition modeling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), selective laser melting (SLM), electron beam melting (EBM), inkjet 3D printing (3DP), stereolithography (SLA), and 3D plotting. Finally, major applications areas are discussed, including electronic, aerospace, construction and biomedical applications, with detailed information on the design, fabrication and processing methods required in each case. Provides a thorough, clear understanding of polymer preparation techniques and 3D and 4D printing processes, with a view to specific applications Examines synthesis, formation methodology, the dispersion of fillers, characterization, properties, and performance of polymer nanocomposites Explores the possibilities of 4D printing, covering the usage of stimuli responsive hydrogels and shape memory polymers

Polymers for 3D Printing: Methods, Properties, and Characteristics provides a detailed guide to polymers for 3D printing, bridging the gap between research and practice, and enabling engineers, technicians and designers to utilise and implement this technology for their products or applications. Presents the properties, attributes, and potential applications of the polymeric materials used in 3D printing Analyses and compares the available methods for 3D printing, with an emphasis on the latest cutting-edge technologies Enables the reader to select and implement the correct 3D printing technology, according to polymer properties or product requirements

This book covers polymer 3D printing through basics of technique and its implementation. It begins with the discussion on fundamentals of new-age printing, know-how of technology, methodology of printing, and product design perspectives. It includes aspects of CAD along with uses of Slicer software, image analysis software and MATLAB® programming in 3D printing of polymers. It covers choice of polymers for printing subject to their structure–property relationship, troubleshooting during printing, and possible uses of waste plastics and other waste materials. Key Features Explores polymeric material printing and design Provides information on the potential for the transformation and manufacturing, reuse and recycling of polymeric material Includes comparison of 3D printing and injection moulding Discusses CAD design and pertinent scaling-up process related to polymers Offers basic strategies for improvement and troubleshooting of 3D printing This book is aimed at professionals and graduate students in polymer and mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering.

What if structures could build themselves or adapt to fluctuating environments? Skylar Tibbits, Director of the Self-Assembly Lab in the Department of Architecture at MIT, Cambridge, MA, crosses the boundaries between architecture, biology, materials science and the arts, to envision a world where material components can self-assemble to provide adapting structures and optimized fabrication solutions. The book examines the three main ingredients for self-assembly, includes interviews with practitioners involved in the work and presents research projects related to these topics to provide a complete first look at exciting future technologies in construction and self-transforming material products.

The book provides a detailed methodology for addressing the needs of material processing (polymer/ metals/ bio-gels etc.) and various engineering applications in the next 5-10 years. The book presents a detailed mechanical, morphological, thermal, and rheological characterization of selected materials and highilights the required environmental standards to be maintained.