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From 3D to 4D printing: approaches and typical applications

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Abstract

With the additional dimension, 4D printing is emerging as a novel technique to enable configuration switching in 3D printed items. In this paper, four major approaches, namely self-assembly of elements, deformation mismatch, bi-stability, and the Shape memory effect (SME), are identified as the generic approaches to achieve 4D printing. The main features of these approaches are briefly discussed. Utilizing these approaches either individually or in a combined manner, the potential of 4D printing to reshape product design is demonstrated by a few example applications.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore

    Ye Zhou & Wei Min Huang

  2. Shenzhen Woer Heat-Shrinkable Material Co. Ltd, Shenzhen, 518118, China

    Shu Feng Kang

  3. School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, 212013, China

    Xue Lian Wu

  4. Science and Technology on Advanced Composites in Special Environments Laboratory, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China

    Hai Bao Lu

  5. Polymer and Composites Division, Ningbo Institute of Material Technology & Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315201, China

    Jun Fu

  6. Shanghai Institute for Minimally Invasive Therapy, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China

    Haipo Cui

  7. Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Aerospace Power Systems, Nan**g, 210016, China

    Haipo Cui

Authors
  1. Ye Zhou
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  2. Wei Min Huang
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  3. Shu Feng Kang
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  4. Xue Lian Wu
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  5. Hai Bao Lu
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  6. Jun Fu
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  7. Haipo Cui
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wei Min Huang.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Ki-Hoon Shin

Ye Zhou is currently a Research Associate in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He has been working on topics relating to properties of shape memory polymers and their applications utilizing 3D printing methods.

Wei Min Huang is currently an Associate Professor in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He has over 20 years of experience on shape memory materials including alloys and polymers, and has published two books and over 100 journal papers in this field.

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Zhou, Y., Huang, W.M., Kang, S.F. et al. From 3D to 4D printing: approaches and typical applications. J Mech Sci Technol 29, 4281–4288 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-015-0925-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-015-0925-0

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