4D Printing, Volume 1

Foreword

Jean-Claude André, who has already provided us with three very insightful books on additive manufacturing, is taking it up a notch! Indeed, with the help of Frédéric Demoly, he now offers us an “encyclopedic” book on 4D. Let us recall that Jean-Claude André is the first Frenchman to have filed patents and to have believed in what we now call “additive manufacturing”, which was just called “3D printing” at the time.

The fourth dimension is that of time, and the question we face is that of producing, in additive manufacturing, objects capable of changing shape or function over time. In old and simplified terms, we could say that it is a question of using shape memory materials or materials that can be deformed under the effect of external, thermal, photochemical, mechanical or electromagnetic disturbances in 3D printing. Biomaterials are also included in 4D, whether they are biocompatible or living materials, the latter being referred to as bio-printing. This important theme is hardly if at all developed considering the 4D field seems to be so important in its future achievements.

This book covers several aspects. First, it can be read as a classic science book that explains the state of the art and tells us everything there is to know and everything that is being done in 4D printing. Then, it goes through all the problems that arise for the designers of artifacts in the field: mechanical problems, material problems, choice of applications and industrial problems. Finally, ...