4D PRINTING

What is 4D printing ?
• Taking a 3D printed object and adding the ability of transformation by embedding a
program directly into the materials themselves.
• Fourth dimension is “Time” and that over time static objects will transform and adapt.
 Skylar Tibbits
• Researcher & Architect Professor at Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT).
• Focuses on developing programmable materials.
• Developing 4D Printing .
• Founded the Self-Assembly Lab at MIT.
Overview of 4D Object
• Some materials change
Smart physical property upon
energy input .
material • Material expand upon
heat.

• Natural energy source

such as heat ,pressure ,
Energy etc.
• Controlled energy
source source such as current,
electromagnetic wave.

• Arrange transformation
Precise material in precise
Positioning angle, position.
• 3D printer.
Control
Important Aspects Of 4D Printing

4D printing

Multi
Simulation
Materials Smart
Software
Printer Material
Cyborg 4D Simulation Software
 Cyborg 4D Simulation Software
• Cyborg, a design platform spanning applications from the nano-scale to the human
scale.
• This software allows for simulated self-assembly and programmable materials as well
as optimization for design constraints and joint folding.
• The aim is to tightly couple this new cross-disciplinary and cross-scalar design tool
with the real-world material transformation.
Multi Materials Printers
How the 4D printer works…..?
What is 3D printing..?

• 3D printing is also known as

“Additive manufacturing”, is
a process that creates a
physical object from a digital
design.
• These process uses the
Computer-aided-
design(CAD) software.
 CAD Software

• A virtual design of the objects is

created by this software.
• The software slices the final
model into hundreds or
thousands of horizontal layers.
Different Types of Printing Technologies:
• Stereolithography :-
This printing technology coverts liquid
Plastics into solid 3D object.

• Fused deposition modelling(FDM):-

It uses a plastic filament or metal wire as
input material to an extrusion nozzle .The
Nozzle is heated to melt the material and
Can be moved in both horizontal and vertical
directions by CAD.
• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS):

It uses a high power laser to fuse input s

materials like plastic, metal, glass, etc.
It scans the powdered material layer by
layer.
 Smart materials
• Smart materials are designed
Smart
materials that have one or more
Metal
properties that can be significantly
changed in a controlled fashion by alloy

external stimuli, such as stress,

temperature, moisture, pH, electric Self –
heating
Smart
or magnetic fields. polymers materials
Others

Dielectric
elastomers
 Classification Of Smart materials

Type of SMART Input Output

material
Piezoelectric Deformation Potential difference
Electrostrictive Potential Difference Deformation
Magnetostrictive Magnetic Field Deformation

Thermoelectric Temperature Potential Difference

Shape Memory Alloys Temperature Deformation

Photochromic Radiation Color change
Thermochromics Temperature Color change
Comparision of different materials
Applications of 4D printing
Nano Scale objects in Biomedical Engineering.
• 4D printed stent to be maecuvered to a spot and then
change form.
• For example, 4D printed stent that is introduced into
an artery- and when ultra sound energy is applied it
balloons upto its needed configuration.
Adaptive Tyre Compound
• 4D printed tyre compound which provide adaptive grip on
road condition.
Conclusion
• 4D printing is a novel advancement to 3D printing
technology.
• 4D printing is focused on developing materials and
newer printing techniques that could reduce the
time taken for assembly of parts, in turn improving
the efficiency of the manufacturing process.