Controlled Shape Changing Components by Using 4D Printing Technology

Bijaya Bikram Samal, Anita Jena and Debadutta Mishra*

Department of Production Engineering
Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology, Burla-768018, India.
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Abstract
Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as three-dimensional (3D) printing or rapid prototyping, has been introduced since the
late 1980s. Although a considerable amount of progress has been made in this field, there is still a lot of research work to be done to
overcome the various challenges remained. Recently, one of the actively researched areas lies in the additive manufacturing of smart
materials and structures. Smart materials are those materials that can change their shape or properties under the influence of external
stimuli. With the introduction of smart materials, the AM-fabricated components can alter their shape or properties over time (the 4th
dimension) as a response to the applied external stimuli. Hence, this with the additional dimension, 4D printing is emerging as a novel
technique to enable configuration switching in 3D printed items. Some of the approaches are namely self-assembly of elements,
deformation mismatch, bi-stability, and the Shape memory effect (SME), etc. are identified as the generic approaches to achieve 4D
printing. The research focuses on basic capabilities of the emerging 4D Printing technology using a combination of smart material and
ABS/PLA to create models that will change their shapes on interaction with the environmental stimuli like water, temperature etc. without
the use of robotics, motors or any other automation. This can be used to make different models and then they can self-assemble
themselves without using any source of power.
Keywords: 4D Printing, Smart Materials, Shape Memory Alloys, 3D Printing with Smart Materials.
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1. INTRODUCTION
In comparison with other smart materials that can be used for
3D printing is a process well known in manufacturing that 4D printing application, it has high strain recovery, high
utilizes the CAD geometry and sliced data to build a part layer melting point, low cost, excellent corrosion resistant, easy
by layer. In spite of a lot of advantages of 3D printed parts, shape programming procedure and easy control of recovery
there are some drawbacks like the built parts are static and do temperature. These are also biocompatible and biodegradable
not change, though there is an exception of functional and and hence gained extensive research interests recently in
moving parts like hinges, ball and socket joints, bearings etc. various areas such as medical, civil, military etc.
The built platform is also limited. Therefore, the concept of 4D
printing evolved. Time is the 4th dimension combined with 3D This paper will provide design, analysis, simulation and the
printing. 4D printing provides an amazing chance to the objects detail process plan is described for processing of a 3D printed
to change and can cope up with responses provided by the part that will change its structure when coming in contact with
environmental changes. 4D printing technology is in its basic the temperature. 3D printing technique is employed to create
research phase. A lot of projects and models have been made ABS sandwiched SMA with both spontaneous and sequential
after the introduction of 4D printing in 2014 [1]. Current 4D shape changing properties. The complete process includes the
printed models utilize smart materials like hydrogels, proteins, 3D printing from a CAD file that is being sliced using slicing
and shape memory polymers in thin sheets. These demonstrate software which specifies the details of the material
impressive shape changing capabilities but have very low configuration and its properties. This process is highly flexible
structural strength [2-4]. in terms of design considerations and convenience of operation
during the creation of a functional component. The SMA we
On the other hand, there is a smart material named shape used to be a nitinol sheet, whose shape recovery is thermally
memory alloy (SMA) which is defined by its ability to recover triggered.
its programmed shape after providing a deformation to a certain
limit when comes in contact with an appropriate stimulus like Nitinol has been majorly used in the field of medical science for
temperature. This material property is called as shape memory stents because of its unique property of changing its shape and
effect in alloys and the magnitude of shape change (with or super elasticity. Considering the detailed material and design
without hysteresis) is proportional to the applied stimulus [5-6]. specifications, it is found that the deformed component can
Since this type of material could sense the environmental successfully return back to the original shape in a predefined
changes and then take reactions accordingly in a predetermined sequence, while the shape recovery [7] in the SMA component
sequence, they are considered as a promising alternative for the will be coming to halt either by the chamfered surface or it will
future components that can utilize its shape changing deform till the programmed value. By using this process, we
capabilities to achieve unprecedented practical applications [7]. can directly embed SMA within the 3D printed part which acts
as an actuator and that will provide a potential advantage for
getting an accurate controlled shape recovery feature which will
further enable the production of components having
*
Author to whom correspondence should be made, Email: [email protected]

ISBN: 978-93-80689-28-9
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unprecedented multifunctional features and high performance. 4. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
This model will be having better structural strength than the
previously made models which will be very helpful for using it 4.1. Concept
in larger scale products.
First the concept of self-folding cube is visualized and is further
2. NITINOL: THE SMART MATERIAL planned for designing and analysis processes.
Nitinol has very exceptional properties that are gleaned from a 4.2. Design of the product
reversible solid-state phase transformation also called
martensitic transformation, between two alternative martensitic During design of the component, it is most important to create
crystal phases, requiring 60-130 MPa of engineering stress. the active origami structure [11] of the final product within the
Nitinol presumes an intermesh simple cubical structure known design and also consider all the aspects how the design will
as the austenite at a high temperature. Nitinol impulsively affect the functionality of the product. All the 3D models were
transforms itself to a more intricate monoclinic crystal structure made using SOLIDWORKS CAD software.
known as martensite at a low temperature [8]. There are certain First the design of the base with cavities of 0.5mm thickness at
transition temperatures which are associated to first austenite to center of gravity of each component was made as shown in
martensite and then martensite to austenite transformations. Fig.1. There are 6 cuboids with 50mm x 50mm x 5mm. and the
Martensite begins to form when the alloy is cooled to the red colored space shows the cavity made for embedding the
temperature called the start temperature of martensite and the nitinol sheet.
alteration is completed which is known as the finish
temperature of martensite. When the fusion is martensite then it
is transferred to heating where formation of austenite starts at
the start temperature of austenite and finishes at finish
temperature of austenite. The name shape memory introduces to
the fact that the shape of the high temperature austenite phase is
remembered even after the fusion is critically deformed at a
lower temperature.

3. MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

We have considered the basic material as VeroWhitePlus as the

printer we will be using is Stratasys Objet 30. VeroWhite plus
is a very hard, durable, opaque, high resolution white material.
It produces excellent surface and has a great fine feature details
and smooth contour curves. It contains Acrylic monomer and
Acrylate oligomer. Detail properties of the VeroWhitePlus is Fig 1. CAD model of base with cavities
provided in Table 1.
Second the nitinol sheets are designed as per the dimensions
Table 1. Physical properties of VeroWhitePlus [9]. given in Fig.2 and is assembled into the cavities made in the
Fig.1.
Mechanical Properties Test Method Values
Tensile Strength ASTM D638 58MPa
Elongation ASTM D638 10%-25%
Young’s Modulus ASTM D638 2500MPa
Flexural Strength ASTM D790 93MPa
Hardness 85D
Heat Deflection Temp ASTM D648 48OC

Nitinol sheet is used for embedding it in between to get a

sandwiched structure [10]. Nitinol sheet is of light weight and it
is a solid state alternative to conventional actuators. The
material property of nitinol allows it to remember its shape and
Fig 2. Nitinol sheets for assembly design
can be used to actuate when temperature is increased which
At last the design of the top part is made with the assembly of
uses passive source of energy and decreases the complexities in
the previous models. A chamfer of angle 450 and chamfer
design using motors and other power consuming actuators.
length of 5mm is provided because the length in between the
Nitinol sheet is the newest and most rousing product form for
two component, where nitinol sheet is to be attached is 10mm
these unique shape memory properties. Nitinol sheet can easily
and for a proper meshing of the chamfered corners which adds
processed by laser cutting, etching, stamping and EDM
to its chamfer angles to make a right angle, required for a cube
machining. Efficient processing and surface finishing
formation. For getting the correct design done, there is a gap of
establishes a smooth, light oxide surface. Many new medical
5mm in between as shown in the Fig. 3.
innovations are now possible with the use of this very thin and
versatile nitinol. Sheet is a 2D structure unlike wire and spring
giving us many design options.

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 Fig 3. 3D CAD assembled model of the origami of the c) Maximum stress intensity found to be 1.6934x108 Pa
self-folding cube
Fig. 4. FEA analysis of the model
4.3. Finite Element Analysis
The design is very complex as two materials with different 4.4. Programming of Nitinol sheet
properties are being used. FEA analysis helps in predicting Programming of nitinol is important because it should bend at
stress distribution in the component, possible failures after an angle of 900 so that the actuation will give rise to a closed
fabrication, finding out the point of maximum stress intensity model of a cube. The following steps of processes are carried
and also finding out the maximum deformation under the load. out to set its shape as per requirement.
The design data and the properties of nitinol and
VeroWhitePlus are provided as input to ANSYS 16.0 software 4.4.1 Cutting of nitinol
package. The model is then triangular meshed as it will be
better because 3D printing requires STL format. Number of The nitinol sheet that the manufacturer provided is of size
nodes are 38,499 and number of elements were found out to be 304mm x 304mm x 0.5mm. This is cut into three 55mm x
20,607 with minimum edge length of 5x10-4m. The maximum 30mm sheets and two 44mm x 40mm sheets.
deformation and maximum stress intensity were found out
when a pressure of 500 Pa is provided with proper fixed support 4.4.2 Bending of the sheet
at the middle cube position. The pressure provided was much
Bending it at specific location as mentioned in the design data
more than the calculated value. The details of the simulation
at an angle of 900.
are shown in Fig
4.
4.4.3 Fixing the sheet in a fixture
The nitinol sheet is then clamped in a fixture, designed
specifically for the part as shown in Fig 5.

a) Meshing of the geometry.

Fig.5. Fixture design

4.4.4 Heating the nitinol sheet

b) Maximum deformation found to be 0.01227 m The nitinol sheet is then heated at a temperature of 500 0C for 10
minutes.

4.4.5 Quenching the sheet

Quenching of the sheet is done by dipping it into water at room
temperature. Nitinol sheet has now remembered its shape.
4.4.6 Bending the quenched sheet

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Bending the sheet again as it was before and now it is ready to adaptive jackets, tire compound that can change according to
be embedded into the model. different road conditions, pipping with variable diameter as per
demand, robotics without heavy motors etc. This technology
4.5. 3D Printing embedded with nitinol sheet provides a lot of flexibility and customization to a product in a
very short manufacturing lead time with the dynamic
4.5.1 3D printing of the base characteristics of changing its structure, functionality and
adaptable to the environment that can be utilized to achieve
The design data is first sliced in a software and then it is maximum efficiency in any field of its usage. Future possible
transferred to the 3D printer to print. The 3D printer used is a works in this field can be the use of shape memory polymer to
Stratasys Objet 30 with VeroWhitePlus as the print material. 3D print different structures and use of nanotechnology with 4D
The base is printed as per the design made in Fig.1 with cavities printed parts that will further improve the material
for attaching the nitinol sheet. characteristics as well as provide better functionality.
4.5.2 Pausing the printer
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