代尔夫特技术大学（TU代尔夫特）教授的阿米尔·扎德普尔（Amir Zadpoor）团队认为self folding abilityof 3D printed polymers could have potential for next generation medical devices. In a recent paper for the journal材料视野, the team demonstrate the 3D printing’s ability to make flat nets that fold into an array of objects including a helix, pyramids and a tulip.
恰当地命名的“形状转移”研究开辟了一个新的创新设计领域，可以为骨植入物的外观和功能提供信息。Zadpoor教授解释说：“我们所做的研究是高风险的高级增益，所以我不知道从现在起五年后我们将在哪里结束。”
“不过，我知道的是，未来的医疗植入物看起来不会像当前的植入物。”
A material’s memory
TU Delft designed objects are capable of transforming from a 2D net to a 3D shape in a matter of seconds. A tulip, for example, takes just 20 seconds to change from a flat shape into a full flower. The objects are programmed in this way by integrating grades of stress/stretch into the design. PhD researcher Teunis van Manen explains,
“拉伸作为记忆中存储在材料中。加热时，记忆会释放，材料希望回到其原始状态。”
Shape-shifting in sequence
Zadpoor集团研究的一个好处是，这些物体的成本相对较低，桌面3D打印机的成本相对较低。Zadpoor教授解释说，“每公斤约17欧元，便宜。尽管如此，我们创造了一些有史以来最复杂的形状变化。”以这种方式制造的其他结构包括deployable trusses, domes,晶格和Bucky balls.
TU代尔夫特团队通过在设计中添加“顺序形状转换”来增加4D打印对象的复杂性。随着顺序形状移动，对象设计的某些部分，例如郁金香的外花瓣被延迟编程，以便它们折叠在物体的其他部分，例如郁金香的中心。通过折叠的折叠，研究人员可以制造出更加几何复杂的对象。
不可能的药物
Applied to medicine, sequential shape-shifting could be used to add cell-supporting textures on the inside of implants – adding a complexity otherwise impossible through FDM 3D printing.
PhD researcher Shahram Janbaz explains that the ‘instructive surfaces’ (different textures) are added to “apply certain forces to the stem cells, prompting them to develop into the cells we want them to be.”
另外，该功能可用于为植入物增加孔隙率encouraging the regrowth of bone cells.
未来的挑战
Zadpoor教授评论说：“形状转变肯定会使我们许多现有的2D世界变成3D世界。”
“…We have come a long way, but we still have a few major challenges ahead of us for the coming years.”
Teunis van Manen, Shahram Janbaz and Amir A. Zadpoor’s paper,编程2D/3D形状转移与业余爱好者3D打印机,可以在线阅读在《药物吗ls Horizons.
了解有关使用3D打印进行研究的有关最新研究的更多信息，订阅,喜欢和跟随这里。您也可以参与3D printing eventsnear you.
特色图像显示了Tu Delft的自折郁金香的图形表示。图片通过Tu Delft
