Professor Joel Yang collaborated with experts from the Industrial Technology Center of Wakayama Prefecture in Japan to devise a novel technique aimed at achieving uniform shrinkage in 3D-printed structures during heat treatment.
High-resolution 4D printing could hide anti-counterfeit information 22 Jan 2021
Professional Engineering
In (a), the printed object s colour is clearly visible before it is compressed. After recovery, the colours are visible again. (b) shows the micron-scale object before, during and after compression (Credit: SUTD) Shape memory polymers have been ‘4D-printed’ at sub-micron dimensions, opening up potential applications including optical anti-counterfeiting.
Researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and collaborators developed the new technique, which is capable of high resolutions comparable to the wavelength of visible light. Applications could also include tuneable photonic devices.
4D printing is the 3D printing of objects that can change shape and transform in response to external stimuli. It is used in fields including soft robotics, flexible electronics and medical devices.
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IMAGE: (a) Different colours as printed, compressed and recovered respectively, observed by the objective lens. (b) Tilted (30° tilt angle) and top view of SEM images before and after programming and. view more
Credit: SUTD
The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and its research collaborators have successfully demonstrated the four-dimensional (4D) printing of shape memory polymers in submicron dimensions which are comparable to the wavelength of visible light. This novel development has allowed researchers to now explore new applications in the field of nanophotonics.
4D printing enables 3D printed structures to change its configurations over time and is used in a wide variety of fields such as soft robotics, flexible electronics, and medical devices.