Dear Colleagues,

We would like to propose a 100% discount on six quotas and a 66% discount on six quotas for high-quality publications in this Special Issue:

Eligibility for the discount:
– Submission before the deadline 10 December 2022;
– Open to all career levels;
– Both reviews and articles will be considered.

Selection Criteria:
The winners will be selected by the Guest Editors according to the following criteria:
– Scientific merit and broad impact;
– Originality of the research objectives and/or the ideas presented;
– Creativity of the study design or uniqueness of the approaches and concepts;
– Peer reviewers’ comments (no rejection from reviewers);
– Clarity of presentation.

Prizes:
–The respective winners of six “first prizes” can publish a paper with a 100% discount in this Special Issue (original price—CHF 2000);
–The respective winners of six “second prizes” can publish a paper with a 66% discount in this Special Issue (original price—CHF 2000).

Submission, Peer-review and Evaluation process:
1. Submit your paper before the deadline on 10 December 2022 via this link (https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload/fd473cb4c9207a18fbf83d4334a67f55?form%5Bjournal_id%5D=22&form%5Bspecial_issue_id%5D=122491). Please mention whether you would like to join this featured-papers-contest in the cover letter during submission;
2. Submissions follow a peer review process;
3. Guest editors will begin to evaluate the contest candidates after they are accepted from the peer review process. If not participating in the contest, regular submissions will not wait for the evaluation process and will be accepted directly after peer review;
4. After evaluation, the contest candidates will be accepted—the six “first prizes” winners will receive an invoice of CHF 0, and the six “second prizes” winners will receive an invoice of CHF 680.

In the last two decades, the vast majority of microfluidic systems have been built in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) by soft lithography, a technique based on PDMS micromolding. A long list of key PDMS properties have contributed to the success of soft lithography: PDMS is biocompatible, elastomeric, transparent, gas-permeable, water-impermeable, fairly inexpensive, copyright-free, and rapidly prototyped with high precision using simple procedures. However, the fabrication process typically involves substantial human labor, which tends to make PDMS devices difficult to disseminate outside of research labs. More industry-friendly alternatives to PDMS such as the micromolding or micromachining of thermoplastics have been presented. However, the layered molding limits the 3D complexity of the devices that can be produced. Digital manufacturing (DM) is a family of computer-centered processes that integrate digital 3D designs, automated (additive or subtractive) fabrication, and device testing in order to increase fabrication efficiency. Importantly, DM enables the inexpensive realization of 3D designs that are impossible or very difficult to mold. This Special Issue showcases research papers, short communications, and review papers that highlight the latest developments in the DM of microfluidics and microsystems, including additive or subtractive manufacturing processes such as stereolithograpy (SLA), digital light processing (DLP)-based SLA, two-photon direct laser writing (DLW), Continuous Liquid Interface Printing (CLIP), PolyJet, fused deposition modeling (FDM), direct sound printing (DSP), volumetric printing, laser cutting, CNC milling, 3D-printed molds, and bioprinting, particularly advances in resins and resolution and the biological, biochemical, biophysical, and biomedical applications of additive manufacturing. Following the example of the preceding 2020 Special Issue on the same theme, this Issue will be published as an open-source book of wide dissemination and impact. 

We would like to cordially invite you to participate in this featured-papers-contest, publish research or review articles with us and enjoy the impact of open access publishing with Micromachines.

Prof. Dr. Albert Folch
Prof. Dr. Savas Tasoglu
Prof. Dr. Muthukumaran Packirisamy
Dr. Mohsen Habibi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• 3D printing
• additive manufacturing
• direct write lithography
• microfluidics
• photochemistry
• sonochemistry
• polymerization
• CNC milling