Revolutionary 4D printing technology: shapes that change themselves!

Revolutionary 4D printing technology: shapes that change themselves!

Additive manufacturing has made significant progress in recent years, particularly in the area of ​​4D printing. This refers to the production of active structures with shape memory, which can be controlled by specific process parameters. These refer to a stretching of the material, which is frozen when it cools. When the structure is later heated, they change shape. The research area of ​​4D printing opens up promising opportunities in various industries, including medical technology and aerospace. How TU Braunschweig reports, a project under the auspices of the DFG is investigating the influence of different parameters on the shape change of thermoplastic polymers.

The structures created with shape memory can change under the influence of external stimuli such as temperature, electric fields or light, enabling numerous applications in modern technology. Thermoplastic materials that become soft and malleable when heated offer advantages because they harden again without any chemical structural changes as soon as they are cooled. To ensure reliable shape memory behavior, the scientists subjected the material to thermo-mechanical tests.

Research advances and applications

In a study, ETH Zurich investigated how 4D printed structures with shape memory can be produced. This study is entitled “Large Shape Transforming 4D Auxetic Structures” and analyzes programmable structures that expand and contract when exposed to heat. Loud 3D printing The researchers use theromviscoelastic metamaterials that form complex geometric shapes. Certain areas of the structures can expand by up to 200%. This shows increased malleability compared to previous studies and highlights the technology's potential for biomedicine, construction and aerospace.

An outstanding feature of 4D printing is the ability to control the configuration of the created structures without manual changes. This opens up new application perspectives, especially for areas of application where electromechanical triggers are not practical. The programmable structures also require less space and support structures, further increasing the efficiency of the printing process.

Material development and automation

In addition to the innovative materials in 4D printing, the QLS technology from NXT Factory the processing of high-temperature-resistant materials such as polyamide 613. This technology, which was specifically developed for fully automatic and unsupervised additive manufacturing, represents a further advance that facilitates the transition from prototypes to small and medium-sized series production. The QLS 350 platform uses a patented laser light source and is designed to significantly increase production capacity.

The collaboration between Evonik and NXT Factory aims to further optimize the efficiency of additive manufacturing by combining innovative materials and new technologies. Evonik has become a leader in the production of polyamide 12 powders for additive manufacturing technologies and plans to introduce the high-temperature-resistant polymer powder PA 613 in the first quarter of 2020.

In summary, developments in 4D printing and advances in materials technology promise a wide range of applications. From medical technology to space travel, they open up new perspectives that could expand the boundaries of previous manufacturing technologies. The current research projects and material innovations are just the beginning of a new era of additive manufacturing.