4-D Printing
Every one had definitely heard about 3-D printing, but anyone know about 4-D printing. If you are one of them who never heard about 4-D printing , you are at right place.
In 4-D printing a printed structure can change its form or function with respect to time in response to stimuli such as pressure, temperature, wind, water or any thing else.
In 3-D printing a structure gets a permanent shape. While in 4-D printing shape changes(with time) i.e shape is not permanent ,this is one of the differences between 3-D and 4-D printing.
1. Smart design : 4-D printing has smarter design. The design of 4-D structure have information for time-dependent deformations of objects.So that it can change its shape.
2. Smart materials: 4-D printing use material which can be expanded, flexible, in response to applied stimuli.
Shayam has installed water drainage pipes for the roof.Pipe is very narrow and the shape of pipe is static. That means pipe will not work during high rains, as it will need to drain more water than its capacity. What if pipes were 4-D printed. It means they can expand in high rain and can work fully.
This is not the only example, it has vast use. For example artificial body organs(which can change shapes too), making tent, shape changing shoes ,clothes etc.
While 4-D printing is still very much in the experimental phase, it has the potential to eventually save time by providing new kind o assemble-at-home products. Because items created with 4-D printing would be flatter and easier to ship in large quantities,so they would also save our transportation costs.
WHAT is 4-D PRINTING ?
First to know about 4-D printing you should know what is 4-D. In general one can notice only three dimensions in space. So from where does the term 4-D came. According to Einstein space-time theory 4th dimension is special relativity time. So the term 4-D came from one of the Einstein theory.In 4-D printing a printed structure can change its form or function with respect to time in response to stimuli such as pressure, temperature, wind, water or any thing else.
In 3-D printing a structure gets a permanent shape. While in 4-D printing shape changes(with time) i.e shape is not permanent ,this is one of the differences between 3-D and 4-D printing.
Differences in 3D and 4D Printing
2. Smart materials: 4-D printing use material which can be expanded, flexible, in response to applied stimuli.
Is there any use of 4-D printing ?
YES it has. Lets take a example :Shayam has installed water drainage pipes for the roof.Pipe is very narrow and the shape of pipe is static. That means pipe will not work during high rains, as it will need to drain more water than its capacity. What if pipes were 4-D printed. It means they can expand in high rain and can work fully.
This is not the only example, it has vast use. For example artificial body organs(which can change shapes too), making tent, shape changing shoes ,clothes etc.
While 4-D printing is still very much in the experimental phase, it has the potential to eventually save time by providing new kind o assemble-at-home products. Because items created with 4-D printing would be flatter and easier to ship in large quantities,so they would also save our transportation costs.
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