There is a wide range of applications and products which can adapt to heat or moisture to improve functionality. For example, a 3D-printed shape that resembled the initials MIT was shown to evolve into another formation that looks like the initials SAL.” The expanding materials were placed strategically on the main structure to produce joints that stretched and folded like a bendy straw when activated by water, forming a broad range of shapes. Dan Raviv from MIT Media Lab says: “Our approach was to print 3D structures using materials with different properties: one that remained rigid and another that expanded up to 200% of its original volume. Shapeshifting: 3D printed materials that change shape over time.

They’ve created a 15 x 15 inch square grid from the water absorbent material and it can produce complex geometrical structures. The other is a stiff plastic in a rigid state. One is a water absorbent material which is a formula developed by Stratasys and is a secret. The researchers have used two materials to create 3D printed objects with adaptive properties. We call it 4D because it adds time (considered the fourth dimension), rather than printing static objects,” said Tibbits. We asked if we could print things that change shape and change properties to behave in precise programmed ways. Skylar Tibbits from Massachusetts Institute of Technology is leading this research along with Stratasys which is a digital manufacturing company in 4D printing. They are combining various types of polymers and fibers that have the shape-changing ability in response to a stimulus like heat or water. Researchers at MIT, Autodesk and Stratasys are working on some secret materials to develop new and economically feasible 4D printing applications. Recently Nervous System design studio, Massachusetts developed a fully wearable dress printed in one single piece using 4D printing technology.Ī Fully wearable dress printed in one single piece using 4D printing technology Other processes include use of pressurized fluids, electroactive polymers, chemicals and the response of “smart” materials to light. Shape memory alloy is once such technology in which a temperature change stimulates a shape change. With the addition of time (a stimulus), objects get adaptive and self-evolving capabilities.Īlthough this concept isn’t new, the amount of interest being shown by scientists to produce 4D printed objects is now increasing. 4D printing adds time to the length, width and height of the objects. 4D printing (also known as adaptive additive manufacturing).ĤD printing is a recently coined popular term which may be attributed to an object which changes shape over the time. Now the researchers are working on “smart” materials which can change shape by themselves and hence 3D printing is moving into the next dimension i.e. The price of 3D printing has fallen below $1,000 and recently a Chinese company launched world’s first affordable personal 3D scanner and printer. Third, the potential environmental impact of this technology is still unclear.This year 3D printing turned 30 years old and it has emerged as one of the fastest growing technologies with endless opportunities. Second, the materials’ reliability and lifespan are still questionable. First, the cost of equipment and materials are hurdles to be overcome to allow mass production. Like every other technology far from the maturity stage, many aspects must be figured out. If a single item is to be used for multiple purposes, this could reduce the need for disposable products. Given the increase in manufacturing efficiency, 4D printing could result in a potential reduction of waste. These could really transform manufacturing – and thus our daily life’s objects – in such a way that we can’t even imagine yet. Potentially, 4D printing could make it possible to set up infrastructure that can change depending on the weather – think of a bridge that could expand during a flood.Īnother advantage lies in the usage of new smart materials. This leads to the possibility of creating structures that would be impossible to build with current manufacturing techniques. Through computational folding, bigger items can be reproduced as only one part. What are the main advantages?ĤD printing’s main pro is the possibility to print objects larger than the used printer. This means that, depending on their application, they may be able to elongate, fold, and bend when activated. to collect the amount shown above from my account periodically.įour-dimensional printed items react to heat, water, or electricity – to name a few catalysts – based on the instructions written on their geometrical coding.

Define 4d printing