“Harbin Institute of Technology” holds the maximum number of patents on 4D printing followed by “Huazhong University of Science & Technology.” The chart below shows the Top 20 Assignees in 4D printing technology. The graph below provides us the details of the top 10 geographies with the number of patents they hold. Increase the capabilities of the printed productsĪpplication areas of 4D printing may include but not limited toĪrchitecture: Buildings that are entirely self-assembled can be delivered in the form of flat sheets to the site, and upon applying proper stimuli, take the shape of the building.įilings of patents on 4D printing was started in the year 2014 and is eventually raising.Ĭhina seems to have a maximum number of patents filed on 4D printing when compared with other countries.Size enhancement: For instance, if a water pipe is fabricated by 4D Printing using smart materials, depending upon the pressure of water, the diameter of pipe changes and regains its original shape when the pressure is removed.It enables us to fabricate objects which are much larger than the size of the printer. An object fabricated by 4D printing technology using smart materials when brought into contact with external sources, like heat, water, etc., reacts and changes its form and size as programmed.Due to their properties, they are called “Smart Materials,” which maintains a temporary shape and comes back to their original shape over the impact of external sources. By relying on environmental conditions instead of electricity, it makes it a game-changer across various industries, completely changing the way we design, create, package, and ship products,” said Professor Chua Chee Kai, lead researcher and Head of Engineering Product Development in SUTD.ĤD printing technology makes use of materials such as single shape memory polymers, liquid crystal elastomers, composite hydrogel, SMP composites, SMP multi-material, and other multifunctional material because of their thermomechanical properties and other material properties. “While reversible 4D Printing in itself is a great advancement, using a more robust material while ensuring a more precise reversal during shape change is revolutionary as it allows us to produce complex structures that cannot be easily achieved through conventional fabrication. It is a type of programmable matter, after the fabrication of printed objects, it reacts with the environment like heat, humidity, and other parameters and changes its form, size, etc. It is because of the chemical reaction which takes place on the materials used in manufacturing. However, in recent years, researchers from the Singapore University of Technology, in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University, came up with a solution of reverting to the original shape by using VeroWhitePlus and TangoBlackPlus.Īctive materials such as shape memory polymers are used to create a solid shape which, when activated in a controlled manner, changes its present shape to another required shape and returns to its original shape. However, the ability to reverting to its original shape (self-assembly technology) was a challenge that involved human intervention. In 4D Printing, an additional “D” (dimension) is added, which is “Time.” A revolutionary change brought in 4D Printing over 3D Printing is its capability of changing shape over time due to the application of controlled impact of external sources like pressure, air, heat, water, etc. Even complicated shapes can be produced with minimal material using 3D Printing than a traditional method. 3D printing or additive manufacturing is the process of laying layer over layer until a 3-dimensional object is created from a digital file. 3D printing technology is available for the past 30 years now. TED professor Skylar Tibbits first introduced the term 4D printing in his speech at the MIT Conference in February 2013.ĤD Printing is an improved version of 3D Printing. Technical experts are conducting continuous research and development to improve efficiency. New emerging technologies are enhancing the manufacturing speed, minimizing the cost of industrial processes, etc. Rapid enhancement to the existing technologies is helping every industry to change their working style.

3d printing vs 4d printing