Programmable Matter Research based on 4D printing

Department of Materials Science EngineeringAs a concept suggested by Skylar Tibbits of MIT in 2013, 4D printing is a field with many new possibilities. 4D printing produces programmable matter that responds to exterior stimuli and changes its structure or properties into the shape designed in advance, through 3D printing. One of the advantages of 4D printing is that a motion can be realized in a simple constitution in order for a certain material to move even without a complicated driving mechanism like a motor. This paper first explains 3D printing and 4D printing and then deals with 4D printing using the properties of Poly-Lactic Acid (PLA), which is a shape memory polymer, and 4D printing using a bistable structure. In the case of 4D printing using PLA, we applied the properties that the shape is restored to the original form at a state higher than glass temperature to 3D printing and tested what structure of 4D printing would be possible in the future. In the case of the bistable structure, we made the basic elements of a mechanical bistable structure in order for 4D printing using Shape Memory Polymer (SMP) to produce more efficiently, and prepared the ground that can realize the diversified and complicated mechanical movements.ope

A 4D printing communication framework for designers and engineers

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London“Communication is an essential part of any design process.” (Clarkson and Eckert) [1]. The rapid emergence and growth of 4D printing technology are expected to impact the technology's development significantly. Due to the high level of interest shown by the research and manufacturing sectors, the technology is expected to jump in its development rapidly. Since 4D Printing technology is still in the early stage, it is also required to focus on advancements in the progress of emerging needs for development in various areas such as application, design, materials, etc. This thesis investigates the communication barriers between designers and engineers in communicating the 4D Printing design process, which has revealed there are only ambiguous ways of communicating without standardization, which led to misinterpretation in the communication of the 4D Printing design process. This thesis aims to develop a concept of design representations that can be used to communicate the 4D Printing design process. The study proposed a communication framework for a communication tool to aid the communication barriers between designers and engineers in the 4D Printing design process to optimize the effectiveness of the 4D Printing technology through the design process. The 4D Printing communication framework has been developed from idea generation through a series of iterative stages to bridge the communication gaps. The communication framework aimed to guide how to constructively design representation symbols for effectively communicating in the 4D Printing design process. With the standardization of communication tools, the designer and engineer could fluently refine and connect their approach design ideas and maximize the potential of 4D Printing technology

4D printing technology in medical engineering: a narrative review

The addition of the time dimension to three-dimensional (3D) printing has introduced four-dimensional (4D) printing technology, which has gained considerable attention in different fields such as medical, art, and engineering. Nowadays, bioscience has introduced some ideas which can be fulfilled by 4D printing. Blending time with variations caused by the situation has many beneficial aspects such as perceptibility and adaptability. Since 4D printing can create a dynamic structure with stimuli-responsive materials, the applications of smart materials, stimulus, and 3D printing are the effective criteria in 4D printing technology. Smart materials with their flexible properties can reshape, recolor, or change function under the effect of the internal or exterior stimuli. Thus, an attractive prospect in the medical field is the integration of the 4D printing approach along with smart materials. This research aims to show the most recent applications of 4D printing technology and smart materials in medical engineering which can show better prospective of 4D printing applications in the future. Also, it describes smart medical implants, tissue engineering, and bioprinting and how they are being used for the 4D printing approach in medical engineering applications. In this regard, a particular emphasis is dedicated to the latest progress in the innovation and development of stimuli-responsive materials that are activated and respond over time to physical, chemical, and biological stimuli and their exploitation through 3D printing methods to fabrication 4D printing smart parts such as intelligent tissue-engineered scaffolds, smart orthopedic implants, and targeted drug delivery systems. On the other hand, major challenges in this technology are explained along with some suggestions for future works to address existing limitations. It is worth noting that despite significant research that has been carried out into 4D printing, it might be more valuable if some investigation is done into 4D bio-printing applications and how this approach will be developed

Shape memory polymer review for flexible artificial intelligence materials of biomedical

The self-healing and biocompatibility of polymer composites for biomedicine have made them a preferred approach for small-scale tissue engineering elements. By moving from static to dynamic pressure, 4D printing simulates the natural physical-mechanical changes of living tissue over time. A promising new platform with excellent controllability actuation is required to enhance the significance of 4D printing for biological applications. This study systematically analyses current 4D printing technologies for the flexible fabrication of artificial intelligence (AIM) materials. In addition, many potential applications of flexible 4D printing in composite biological engineering are thoroughly investigated. We found that knowledge about this new category of flexible AIM composites is relatively limited, and the potential for practical applications has not yet been demonstrated. Finally, we discuss the problems and limitations of flexible 4D printing technology, AIM, and future approaches and applications.</p

Advanced Materials in 3D/4D Printing Technology

This reprint contains a collection of state-of-the-art reviews and original research articles from leaders in the field of 3D/4D printing. It focuses on 3D/4D printing materials with novel and/or advanced functionalities, novel applications of 3DP material, and material synthesis and characterization techniques

Challenges and Opportunities in 4D Printing -An Application Perspective

Over the last ten years, 3D printing technology has played a pivotal role in transforming the manufacturing industry. A recent advancement within the realm of 3D printing has introduced time as a fourth dimension, enabling the creation of 4D printing components. While a 3D-printed design remains static, a 4D-printed design has the remarkable ability to change its shape in response to environmental conditions. This paper also examines various applications of 4D printing across diverse fields such as electronics, renewable energy, aerospace, food, healthcare, and fashion. The review addresses research gaps, the current obstacles in 4D printing, and the future prospects of this technology

4D Printing of origami structures for minimally invasive surgeries using functional scaffold

Origami structures have attracted attention in biomedical applications due to their ability to develop surgical tools that can be expanded from a minimal volume to a larger and functional device. On the other hand, four-dimensional (4D) printing is an emerging technology, which involves 3D printing of smart materials that can respond to external stimuli such as heat. This short communication introduces the proof of concept of merging origami and 4D printing technologies to develop minimally invasive delivery of functional biomedical scaffolds with high shape recovery. The shape-memory effect (SME) of the PLA filament and the origami designs were also assessed in terms of deformability and recovery rate. The results showed that herringbone tessellation origami structure combined with internal natural cancellous bone core satisfies the design requirement of foldable scaffolds. The substantial and consistent SME of the 4D printed herringbone tessellation origami, which exhibited 96% recovery compared to 61% for PLA filament, was the most significant discovery of this paper. The experiments demonstrated how the use of 4D printing in situ with origami structures could achieve reliable and repeatable results, therefore conclusively proving how 4D printing of origami structures can be applied to biomedical scaffolds

New trends in 4D printing: A critical review

In a variety of industries, Additive Manufacturing has revolutionized the whole design-fabrication cycle. Traditional 3D printing is typically employed to produce static components, which are not able to fulfill the dynamic structures requirements and relevant applications such as soft grippers, self-assembly systems, and smart actuators. To address this limitation, an innovative technology has emerged and is called “4D printing”. It processes smart materials by using 3D printing for fabricating smart structures that can be reconfigured by applying different inputs such as heat, humidity, magnetic, electricity, light etc. At present, 4D printing is still a growing technology and it presents numerous challenges regarding materials, design, simulation, fabrication processes, applied strategies and reversibility. In this work a critical review about 4D printing technologies, materials and applications is discussed