The aim of the present paper is to give a general overview on polycarbonate sheet incremental forming. Incremental forming is a promising machining process for small and batch production because of its advantages in terms of flexibility, low tool and process costs. Polycarbonates are high impact‐resistance and low scratch‐resistance thermoplastic polymers that have, because of their good workability, many industrial applications in fields like automotive, aircraft, electrical, construction, medical, etc. The paper investigates the influence of some of the input process parameters on the incremental forming of cone shaped cavities on polycarbonate sheets.

The present paper aims to contribute to the methodology of 3D printing in-process colouring and study its implications and impact on the tensile strength and surface quality of the obtained parts. The proposed study was based on a Taguchi L27 DOE plan using standardised EN ISO 527-2 type 1B-shaped specimens, in which four factors on three levels were considered. The obtained results highlight the possibility of using the presented in-process colouring method. Different materials (PLA, PLA+, and PETG) with varying infill densities (15%, 30%, and 50%), colour distribution (33%, 66%, and 99%), and colour pigments (blue, green, and red) were studied and the results highlighted that the most influential parameter on the tensile strength of the parts was infill density, followed by the tested material, colour pigment, and colouring percentage; regarding surface roughness, the most influential parameter was infill density, followed by colouring percentage, colour pigment, and material. Moreover, the values resulting from the Taguchi DOE were compared to uncoloured parts, from which it could be concluded that the colouring of the parts had direct implications (negative for tensile strength and positive for surface roughness).

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The advancement in control and measuring technologies, the widespread acceptance and the growing popularity of the reverse engineering concept made the possibility of reproducing objects with unknown specifications an easier task. Although industrial practice offers many reverse engineering methods, this technology is not yet used at its fully potential. This article presents a case study involving the application of reverse engineering technology on a complex geometry plastic part from the automotive industry. The aim of the paper is to present a step‐by‐step reverse engineering method, starting from the creation of the point cloud obtained through scanning of the parts surfaces (using a 7.5 axis portable measuring arm with a laser line scanner) to the reproduction of the physical part.

The paper investigates the influence of some 3D printing conditions on some physical–mechanical and technological properties of polycaprolactone (PCL) wood-based biopolymer parts manufactured by FDM. Parts with 100% infill and the geometry according to ISO 527 Type 1B were printed on a semiprofessional desktop FDM printer. A full factorial design with three independent variables at three levels was considered. Some physical–mechanical properties (weight error, fracture temperature, ultimate tensile strength) and technological properties (top and lateral surface roughness, cutting machinability) were experimentally assessed. For the surface texture analysis, a white light interferometer was used. Regression equations for some of the investigated parameters were obtained and analysed. Higher printing speeds than those usually reported in the existing literature dealing with wood-based polymers’ 3D printing had been tested. Overall, the highest level chosen for the printing speed positively influenced the surface roughness and the ultimate tensile strength of the 3D-printed parts. The cutting machinability of the printed parts was investigated by means of cutting force criteria. The results showed that the PCL wood-based polymer analysed in this study had lower machinability than natural wood.