Overview
ABSTRACT
This article provides an overview of additive manufacturing technologies applied to polymers, highlighting advantages such as cost-effectiveness, lightweight design, recyclability, and design freedom. It presents the fundamental principles and classifications, as well as the advantages and limitations compared with conventional techniques. The main technologies, including extrusion, photopolymerization, powder bed fusion, material jetting, and direct ink writing, are analyzed in terms of mechanisms, materials, and applications. The article also addresses current challenges and future perspectives, notably 4D printing.
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Read the articleAUTHORS
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Hamid Reza VANAEI : Assistant Professor, PhD - ESILV, Léonard de Vinci University Campus, 92916 Paris-La-Défense, France - Léonard de Vinci University Campus, Research Center, 92916 Paris-La-Défense, France - Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology, CNAM, LIFSE, HESAM University, 75013 Paris-La-Défense, France
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Sofiane KHELLADI : Associate Professor - Arts et Métiers –, ParisTech –, CER Paris
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Sedigheh FARZANEH : Research Professor, PhD - P4Tech, Boissy-Saint-Léger, France
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Abbas TCHARKHTCHI : University Professor - Arts et Métiers Institute of Technology, CNRS, CNAM, PIMM, HESAM University, 75013 Paris-La-Défense, France
INTRODUCTION
Since the 1980s, additive manufacturing (AM) has profoundly transformed industrial practices, particularly through the use of polymers, which are valued for their light weight, versatility, low cost, and malleability. Offering great design freedom, polymer AM has established itself as an effective alternative to traditional methods in various fields such as biomedicine, aerospace, and design, while addressing the challenges of sustainable development and on-demand manufacturing. It enables the rapid production—without molds or tooling—of functional parts or customized prototypes from digital files, thereby reducing development times and fostering innovation. The various AM technologies (filament extrusion, photopolymerization, powder bed fusion, and material jetting) cover a wide range of applications, each offering specific advantages. Advances in polymer materials and precise control of manufacturing parameters are continuously improving the performance of the parts produced. The incorporation of fibers, fillers, nanoparticles, or functional agents enables the development of composite or multifunctional materials, paving the way for so-called “4D” manufacturing, defined here as the fabrication of three-dimensional objects incorporating stimulus-responsive materials capable of programmatically changing their shape or structure in response to an external stimulus (thermal, electrical, magnetic, or chemical).
The accessibility of processes such as FDM/FFF has democratized the use of AM, facilitating local, responsive, and cost-effective production. From an environmental perspective, AM reduces waste and can utilize recycled or bio-based materials. It is thus part of a dynamic of scientific, industrial, and cultural transformation, at the intersection of disciplines such as materials science, mechanical engineering, AI, and biology .
Having outlined the advantages of additive manufacturing for polymers, it is worth comparing it to traditional processes such as injection molding, extrusion, and thermoforming, which remain dominant for mass production due to their speed, precision, and low unit cost once the tooling has been amortized. However, these methods lack flexibility for small production runs because of the specialized tooling they require. AM, which does not require molds, is better suited...
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KEYWORDS
additive manufacturing | polymers | 3D printing | FDM | SLA | SLS | DLP | Polymer materials
Additive Manufacturing of Polymers: Technologies, Materials, and Perspectives
General Principles of Additive Manufacturing for Polymers
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