Additive manufacturing - A review of 4D printing and future applications

3D printing will revolutionize the manufacturing industry. Significant advances in computer aided design, additive manufacturing and materials science have opened up the possibilities of self-assembly systems, self-healing and material property alterations. Printing layer by layer allows complex geometries to be built, previously difficult under conventional manufacturing routes. This paper is a review of the current materials available for 3D printing that enable the emergence of 4D printing, a 'smart material' that responds in a programmed way to an external stimuli. The outlook is towards potential space applications, in all areas including deployable structures, antennas and medical supplies.