• 30 on 3D
  • Blog
  • Events
  • 949.474.9222

Purple Platypus

Advanced 3D Printers, Mills, and Services

  • Products
    • Plastic 3D Printers
      • Stratasys Production Printers
        • H350
        • Origin One
        • Neo Series
      • Stratasys FDM Printers
        • F3300
        • F900
        • Fortus 450mc
        • F770
        • F123CR Series
        • F123 Series
      • Stratasys PolyJet Printers
        • J850 Pro & Prime
        • J850 TechStyle
        • J826 Prime
        • J55 Prime
        • J35 Pro
        • J4100
      • Stratasys Medical 3D Printers
        • J850 Digital Anatomy Printer
        • J5 MediJet
      • Stratasys Dental 3D Printers
        • J3 DentaJet
        • J5 DentaJet
        • Origin One Dental
      • UltiMaker Printers
      • Onulis Printers
        • WRAP
        • WRAPCure
        • WRAPCure Certified
    • Post Processing Equipment
      • DLP Post-Curing
        • WRAPCure
        • WRAPCure Certified
      • Cleaning
        • Powershot C
      • Surfacing
        • Powershot S
        • Powerfuse S
      • Dyeing
        • DM60
    • CNC Machines
      • Roland DG SRM-20
      • Roland DG MDX-50
    • 3D Scanners
      • Quadro+
      • Optima+ M
      • Fine Precision
      • Wide Range
      • eviXmatic
    • Waterjets
      • ProtoMAX
    • Engravers
      • Roland DG DE-3
    • Software
      • Materialise Software
        • Materialise Magics
        • Materialise 3-matic
        • Materialise e-Stage
        • Materialise Build Processor
      • GrabCAD Print Pro
      • GrabCAD Shop
  • Materials
    • SAF Materials
    • Origin One Materials
    • SLA Materials
    • FDM Thermoplastics
    • PolyJet Photopolymers
  • Training
    • Purple Platypus University
  • Pre-Owned Equipment
    • Fortus 380mc
    • Eden 260VS
    • Objet30 Prime
    • Heavy Duty Quadro
  • Get A Quote
    • Print Your Part
    • Section 179 Tax Deductions
  • Contact Us

4D Printing: Self Assembling Parts

June 27, 2013 By Talena Weingartner

skylar tibbits, 4d printing, TED2013

What is 4D Printing?

“Take multi-material 3D printing – so you can deposit multiple materials – and add a new capability, which is transformation. That right off the bed, the parts can transform from one shape to another shape, directly on their own… So you completely print this part, and it can transform into something else.”  Skylar Tibbits, TED2013

What makes the transformation and self-assembly possible is the breakthrough development of a new material used in multi-material 3D printing by Stratasys Objet Connex 3D Printers. The self-folding material is actually composed of two base materials – one that is water expandable and the second that is not water expandable. The water expandable material, which is still in the R&D phase, is able to absorb water and to be programmed to behave and transform in a specific way. It is a highly hydrophilic material that absorbs water molecules when immersed and can change its volume by more than 150% relative to its dry state. When this material is coupled with the static material it can drive predictable shape transformation of the multi-material 3D printed object.  Both materials are printed simultaneously on a Stratasys Objet Connex 3D Printer.

Tibbits and his team at the MIT Self Assembly Lab hope to continue to develop the capabilities of 4D printing and scale it up to the point where it can be used for real-world production and manufacturing.  Stratasys works closely with academic researchers and thought leaders to create radical changes in the design and engineering process with unique, multi-material technology.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Blog

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Virtual Factory Floor


Recent Blog Posts

  • Part of the Month: Variety Pack
  • Unboxing: The WRAPCure Certified
  • Part of the Month: Darts
  • 30 on 3D: Per-Part Time Estimation in GrabCAD Print Pro
  • Part of the Month: Air Intake Hose
  • 30 on 3D: Nesting Parts Using 3D Array in GrabCAD Print Pro
  • Part of the Month: Dumbbells
  • Layer By Layer Perfection
  • Experience Stratasys Truck Tour Hosted by Purple Platypus
  • The Story of Neo

Locations

  • Irvine Headquarters
    16842 Hale Ave.
    Irvine, CA 92606
  • Bay Area Office + Showroom
    2185 Ronald St.
    Santa Clara, CA 95050
    By Appointment Only
  • Phoenix Office + Showroom
    2330 West Parkside Ln., Suite G105
    Phoenix, AZ 85027
    By Appointment Only

Recent Posts

  • Part of the Month: Variety Pack
  • Unboxing: The WRAPCure Certified
  • Part of the Month: Darts
  • 30 on 3D: Per-Part Time Estimation in GrabCAD Print Pro
  • Part of the Month: Air Intake Hose
CONTACT OUR TEAM

949.474.9222
[email protected]

LEGAL

Purchase Terms & Conditions

 

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 · Purple Platypus · Terms & Conditions · Privacy Policy

  • Products
    ▼
    • Plastic 3D Printers
      ▼
      • Stratasys Production Printers
        ▼
        • H350
        • Origin One
        • Neo Series
      • Stratasys FDM Printers
        ▼
        • F3300
        • F900
        • Fortus 450mc
        • F770
        • F123CR Series
        • F123 Series
      • Stratasys PolyJet Printers
        ▼
        • J850 Pro & Prime
        • J850 TechStyle
        • J826 Prime
        • J55 Prime
        • J35 Pro
        • J4100
      • Stratasys Medical 3D Printers
        ▼
        • J850 Digital Anatomy Printer
        • J5 MediJet
      • Stratasys Dental 3D Printers
        ▼
        • J3 DentaJet
        • J5 DentaJet
        • Origin One Dental
      • UltiMaker Printers
      • Onulis Printers
        ▼
        • WRAP
        • WRAPCure
        • WRAPCure Certified
    • Post Processing Equipment
      ▼
      • DLP Post-Curing
        ▼
        • WRAPCure
        • WRAPCure Certified
      • Cleaning
        ▼
        • Powershot C
      • Surfacing
        ▼
        • Powershot S
        • Powerfuse S
      • Dyeing
        ▼
        • DM60
    • CNC Machines
      ▼
      • Roland DG SRM-20
      • Roland DG MDX-50
    • 3D Scanners
      ▼
      • Quadro+
      • Optima+ M
      • Fine Precision
      • Wide Range
      • eviXmatic
    • Waterjets
      ▼
      • ProtoMAX
    • Engravers
      ▼
      • Roland DG DE-3
    • Software
      ▼
      • Materialise Software
        ▼
        • Materialise Magics
        • Materialise 3-matic
        • Materialise e-Stage
        • Materialise Build Processor
      • GrabCAD Print Pro
      • GrabCAD Shop
  • Materials
    ▼
    • SAF Materials
    • Origin One Materials
    • SLA Materials
    • FDM Thermoplastics
    • PolyJet Photopolymers
  • Training
    ▼
    • Purple Platypus University
  • Pre-Owned Equipment
    ▼
    • Fortus 380mc
    • Eden 260VS
    • Objet30 Prime
    • Heavy Duty Quadro
  • Get A Quote
    ▼
    • Print Your Part
    • Section 179 Tax Deductions
  • Contact Us