Am-fff of objects using commercial pla based shape memory polymer printed by an open-source 3d printer

Abstract

The 4D additive manufacturing processes are considered today as the "next big thing" in R&D. The aim of this research is to provide two examples of commercial PLA based shape memory polymer (SMP) objects printed on an open-source 3D printer in order to proof the feasibility of such novel 4D printing process. To that purpose, a PLA based filament of eSUN (4D filament e4D-1white, SMP) was chosen, and two applications, a spring and a vase, were designed by 3D-printing with additive manufacturing (AM) fused filament fabrication (FFF) technique. The 4D-printed objects were successfully produced, the shape memory effect and their functionality were demonstrated by achieving the shape-memory cycle of programming, storage and recovery.