Contents 3D Printing How it works ? Methods & Technologies of 3D Applications Another Dimension: 4D Difference between 3D & 4D Current state of Technology Breadth of Application Conclusion Future Scope

What is 3D Printing ?

3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file.

The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes.

In an additive process an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the entire object is created.

How it works ?

A virtual design of the object is created.

CAD (Computer Aided Design) uses a 3D modeling program or 3D scanner for virtual design.

The software slices the final model into hundreds or thousands of horizontal layers.

The printer creates the object layer by layer, resulting in one three dimensional object.

Methods & Technologies

Several ways to realize 3D objects –

Selective laser sintering (SLS) : uses a high power laser to fuse input materials like plastic, metal, glass, etc. It scans the powdered material layer by layer.

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) : 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 CAM. The material hardens immediately after extrusion from the nozzle.

Stereolithography (SLA) : photopolymerization is used to produce a solid part from a liquid. This technology employs a vat of liquid ultraviolet curable photopolymer resin and an ultraviolet laser to build the object’s layers one at a time. UV Laser solidifying the pattern.

Applications

3D printing has been used to create car parts, smartphone cases, fashion accessories, medical equipment and artificial organs. Manufacturing corporations and aerospace organizations have saved billions of dollars by using 3D printing for building parts. 3D printing has also helped save lives. One of the best ways to learn about what 3D printing can do is by researching real-life applications on the technology. Other applications include:

Rapid prototyping 3D Printed Organs Personal printing In The Automotive Industry In The Aerospace Industry

What is the 4th dimension ? “We're proposing that the fourth dimension is Time and that over

time static objects will transform and adapt.”

“The rigid material becomes a structure and the other layer is the force that can start bending and twisting it. Imagine water pipes that can expand to cope with different capacities or flows and save digging up the street.” - Skylar Tibbits.

How it works ?

A single print, with multi-material features, can transform from any 1D strand into 3D shape, 2D surface into 3D shape or from one 3D shape into another.

Allows the researchers to program different material properties into each of the various particles of the designed geometry and harnesses the different water-absorbing properties of the materials to activate the self-assembly process.

With water as its activation energy, this technique promises new possibilities for embedding programmability and simple decision making into non-electronic based materials. (Imagine robotics-like behaviour without the reliance on complex electro-mechanical devices).

Overview of 4D Object

Smart Materials

Difference between 3D & 4D

4d printing has nothing to do with a fourth dimension. The big difference between 3d and 4d is that a 4d printer produces products which are able to adjust themselves according to their surroundings.

So the difference is after the product is printed. For example, when a product is printed and when it comes in contact with for example water, it reshapes itself. The products will be able to reshape themselves in a prerecorded shape.

The 4-D printer creates a strand of multiple materials and that strand becomes whatever we want it to.

Current State of Technology

• 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 overall efficiency of the manufacturing process.

• Parts manufactured using this novel technology would employ different types of SMART materials.

Breadth of Application

Conclusion

FUTURE SCOPE

Although not commercially available, self-assembly is just a beginning of a whole innovative world of manufacturing with minimum energy. As environmental, economic, human and other constraints continue to fluctuate, we will eventually need dynamic systems that can respond with ease and agility.

4D Printing is the first of its kind to offer this exciting capability. This is truly a radical shift in our understanding of structures, which have up to this point, remained static and rigid (think aerospace, automotive, building industries etc) and will soon be dynamic, adaptable and tunable for on-demand performance.

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