4D PRINTING
4D PRINTING: A TECHNOLOGY COMING FROM THE FUTURE
WHAT IS 4D PRINTING ?
4D printing is the process through which a 3D printed object transforms itself into another structure over the influence of external energy input as temperature, light or other environmental stimuli.
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.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 4D AND 3D PRINTING
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 3D printing transforming over time. Thus, a 4th dimension is added: time. So, the big breakthrough about 4D Printing over 3D Printing is its ability to change shape over time.
ADVANTAGE OF 4D PRINTING
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 fit a printer can be compressed for 3D printing into their secondary form.
