3D printing for 4D reconfigurable motion generation based on the shape memory effect

Abstract

Fourth Dimension (4D) known as the material ability to change its shape and properties once activated by an external stimulus such as heat or chemical where it refers to smart shape memory materials. The 3D model shape is first printed by a 3D printer where complex shape could be printed and for rapid prototyping purposes using shape memory polymer material. An un-assembled 3D printer is brought and assembled to print out the experiment specimens which are described in the later part of the report.

In this project, polylactic acid (PLA) material is tested throughout the whole project with different parameters such as programming and preheating temperature, thus investigated its properties of the material and shape memory effects. The experiment to be conducted involves the specimen to undergo varying preheating temperature with increasing number of stimulated activity, thus the strain and shape memory effects could be observed. This includes testing the change in properties after subjected to preheat or no preheat process involved with different temperatures by tensile extension testing. Therefore the use of polylactic acid (PLA) as an alternative for shape memory material is analyzed.