4D Printing: The Future of Manufacturing
The 3D printing technology has matured as a viable solution for easily manufacturing intricate designs, even utilizing many materials. But it boosts the ultimate question of “What else can be done with it?”, this question has led many industry leaders and researchers to take the technology to a whole new level. The answer might lie in a new aspect of the technology – 4D printing. The Technology The term 4D printing was coined by MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab. It is an advancement of 3D printing, in which the objects created by 3D printing can change their shape, size, color, function, etc., based on the requirements. “….you first have to have the 3D manufacturing capability, and then you add smart materials….” - Howon Lee, Associate professor, Mechanical and Space Engineering, Rutgers University This quote signifies that you can switch to 4D printing with the help of smart materials, and the rest of the process remains quite s...