Irreversible and Repeatable Shape Transformation of Additively Manufactured Annular Composite Structures

Four-dimensional (4D) printing is a unique application of additive manufacturing (AM) which enables additional shape transformations over time. Although 4D printing is an interesting and attractive phenomenon, it still faces several challenges before it can be used for practical applications: (i) the manufacturing cost should be competitive, and (ii) the shape transformations must have high dimensional accuracy and repeatability. In this study, an irreversible and repeatable thermoresponsive shape transformation method was developed using a material extrusion type AM process and a plain thermoplastic polymer (ABS) without a shape-memory function. Various types of annular discs were additively manufactured using printing paths programmed along a circular direction, and additional heat treatment was conducted as a thermal stimulus. The programmed circumferential anisotropy led to a unique 2D-to-3D shape transformation in response to the thermal stimulus. To obtain more predictable and repeatable shape transformation, the thermal stimulus was applied while using a geometric constraint. The relevant dimensional accuracy and repeatability of the constrained and unconstrained thermal deformations were compared. The proposed shape transformation method was further applied to AM and to the in situ assembly of a composite frame–membrane structure, where a functional membrane was integrated into a curved 3D frame without any additional assembly procedure.