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Contents:

 Introduction

 What is 4D Printing?

 What is the di erence between 3D Printing and 4D Printing?

 How does 4D printing work?

 Advantages of 4D Printing

 Potential Applications of 4D Printing

 Current 4D printing research

 Can you start 4D printing?

4D Printing: A technology coming from the future

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Introduction

3D Printing technology has existed for almost 30 years now. Yet, while the Additive Manufacturing industry is still
discovering new applications, new materials, and new 3D printers, another technology is arising. 

It is called 4D Printing and is coming straight from the future! How do we add the fourth dimension to 3D
printing?  Even if we have previously introduced you to how materials change shape with this technology, in this blog
post we will go together through 4D Printing technology itself, and investigate its potential and its future applications.

What is 4D Printing?

4D printing is the process through which a 3D printed object transforms itself into another structure over the
in uence of external energy input as temperature, light or other environmental stimuli.

This technology is part of the project of MIT Self-assembly Lab. The purpose of this project is to combine technology
and design to invent self-assembly and programmable material technologies aiming at reimagining construction,
manufacturing, product assembly, and performance.

In the video above, we see a at-printed structure that, once placed in hot water, slowly folds itself into another
structure. The video below is a test from MIT Selfassembly laboratory demonstrating the functionality of shape
transformation:  4D Printing: Self-Folding Surface Cube from MIT Self-Assembly Lab

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4D Printing: Self-Folding Surface Cube from MIT Self-Assembly Lab

What is the di erence between 3D Printing and 4D Printing?

Obviously, 4D Printing has one more “D” than 3D Printing. What does that mean and why does it bring so much added
value to the technology? 3D Printing is about repeating a 2D structure layer by layer in a print path from the bottom to
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value to the technology? 3D Printing is about repeating a 2D structure, layer by layer in a print path, from the bottom to
the top, layer by layer until a 3D volume is created. 4D Printing is referred to as 3D printing transforming over
time. Thus, a fourth dimension is added: time. So, the big breakthrough about 4D Printing over 3D Printing
technology is its ability to change shape over time.

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A 4D-printed gripper grabs an object when the temperature is optimal

A 4D printed object is printed just like any 3D printed shape. The di erence is that the 4D Printing technology uses
programmable and advanced materials that perform a di erent functionality by adding hot water, light or heat. That’s
why a non-living object can change its 3D shape and behavior over time. 

How does 4D printing work?

4D printing technology uses commercial 3D printers, such as Polyjet 3D printers. The input is a “smart material”, that
can be either a hydrogel or a shape memory polymer. Thanks to their thermomechanical properties and other material
properties,  smart materials are given the attributes of shape change and are di erentiated from the common 3D
printing materials. /
On the other hand, objects printed with 3D Printing technology, are characterized by rigidity. That means that the 3D
printed objects are going to keep their 3D shape once printed.

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Diagram adapted from [F. Momeni et al. / Materials and Design 122 (2017) 42–79], re-drawn by Jean-Claude André |
Scienti c Advisor at INSIS

Advantages of 4D Printing

Size changing

The most obvious advantage of 4D printing is that through computational folding, objects larger than printers can be
printed as only one part. Since the 4D printed objects can change shape, can shrink and unfold, objects that are too
large to t a printer can be compressed for 3D printing into their secondary form.

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Volume reduction by 87% with two folds | Photo by n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com

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N i l i
New materials= new properties

Another advantage of 4D Printing technology is the usage of possible applied materials. 4D printing has a vast
potential to revolutionize the world of materials as we know it today. Imagine 4D printing being applied to a variety of
smart materials that today we cannot even imagine! 

Until now, we have seen experiments of Multimaterial Shape Memory Polymers. Materials like the ones featured in the
video below, “remember” their shape, actively transforming con gurations over time in response to
environmental stimuli. This shapememory polymer will resemble tailorable shapes is very important for the health
industry. For instance, we could make devices that will change shape are release medicine when the patient gets
fewer. 

4D printed structures remember shape

Potential Applications of 4D Printing

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The videos above demonstrate in a very simple way the 4D Printing process. Though, even if these examples are not
characterized by great complexity, we can foresee great potential in this technology.

Self-repair piping system

One potential application of 4D Printing in the real world would be pipes of a plumbing system that dynamically change
their diameter in response to the ow rate and water demand. Pipes that could possibly heal themselves automatically
if they crack or break, due to their ability to change in response to the environment’s change.

Self-assembly furniture

Since 3D printing furniture is limited by the size of the printer, 4D printing could allow to just print a at board that will
curl up into a chair by just adding water or light to it. Imagine it as a more complex version of the video below.

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Programmable Wood from Self-Assembly Lab, MIT.

XL 4D printing in extreme conditions

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4D Printing: Surface to Sine Wave from Self-Assembly Lab, MIT. 4D Printing would be even more useful in big scale
projects. For example, in extreme environments, such as space, it can have very promising applications. In space,
currently, the 3D printing process of the building causes some issues related to cost, e ciency, and energy
consumption. So, instead of using 3D printed materials, 4D printed materials could be used to take advantage of their
transformable shape. They could provide the solution to build bridges, shelters or any kind of installations, as they
would build up themselves or repair themselves in case of weather damage.

Medical industry

On the other hand, imagine 4D printing being applied to a very small scale, in sectors such as the medicinal one. 4D
printed proteins could be a great application, as the self-recon guring protein example illustrated in the following
video. Another special material researchers are working on is sel olding protein.

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4D Printing: Self-Folding Protein from Self-Assembly Lab, MIT. Another application of 4D printing in the medical eld
could be designing sents. Programmed stents would ravel through the human body, and when they reach their
destination, they would open up.

Fashion

4D printing could also change the face of fashion. Self-Assembly Printing Lab from MIT is studying potential
applications of 4D technologies. One of the ideas is that clothing could change accordingly to the weather or the
activity. For instance, shoes could change their shape when you start running to provide you with better comfort and
amortization.

Current 4D printing research

MIT’s Self-assembly lab

MIT is a pioneer in many 3D printing innovations, and certainly, they don’t stop there. Assistant professor Skylar Tibbits
found Self’Assembly Printing Lab. Since 2014 Tibbits has been working with Autodesk on studying 3D printed structures
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and their post-printing behavior One of their projects is the adjustable clothing mentioned above
and their post-printing behavior. One of their projects is the adjustable clothing mentioned above.

Harvard’s Wyss Institute for biologically inspired engineering

4D Printing: Shapeshifting Architecture

A group of researchers was created at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for biologically inspired engineering is developing
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special material called hydrogel The material is inspired by owers that change their shape depending on the
special material called hydrogel. The material is inspired by owers that change their shape depending on the
environment. It is composed of cellulose brils from wood. Their purpose is to resemble microstructures of owers
which gives owers the ability to change shape. Scienti c reports prove how revolutionary 4D printing is. 
The hydrogel then can imitate owers’ ability to modify their structure depending on temperature, humidity, etc. 3D
printing allows scientists to manufacture complex designs with the hydrogel.

University of Wollongong

A team of scientists at the University of Wollongong in Australia developed the rst-ever 4D printed water valve. It is a
huge achievement as the valve closes itself when hot water is poured on it and widens when the temperature goes
down. This phenomenon is possible thanks to 3D printed hydrogel ink which reacts rapidly to high temperatures.

Singapore University of Technology and Design

Researchers from Singapore University of Technology and Design took on another issue with 4D printing: its
commercialization. The problem lays in the materials which production is complicated. This team decided to use a
commercially available multi-material 3D printer and combine 5 steps of material preparation in just one!
They presented this development by 4D printing a at star that bends and transforms into ower-like objects when put
in hot water.

Can you start 4D printing?

All these potential applications seem very inspiring and promising for the future indeed! All the research conducted so
far around 3D printed material properties has a lot to o er to the additive manufacturing industry and certainly
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ib i h
contributes to its growth.

Even if we are at the very beginning of the technology of 4D Printing, we can’t wait to see how it will in uence the future
of Additive Manufacturing, just like 3D printing revolutionized traditional manufacturing.

4D printing still requires more research and development and it’s not available for everyone. 3D printing, however, is
right in your computer! With an online 3D printing service you can get your 3D models produced at the nest quality in
no time. Learn more about our materials and choose the best one for your project!

In case you have any 3D printing related questions, feel free to contact us, our 3D printing experts are here to help you
out.

Related Topics

 4D printing a shape memory polymer

 Rapid Liquid Printing: Creating in atable structures, between 3D and 4D printing
 Discover how 4D printing can create intelligent aquatic plants

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