4D Printing
Multimaterial 3D Printing Technology
Based on DLP technology, the new BMF 4D printer employs a centrifugal cleaning process during material transitions, allowing true multimaterial printing inside a single layer as well as from one layer to the next.
This multimaterial 4D vat-photopolymerization printer enables the fabrication of complex structures from a broad range of functional materials – including shape-memory polymers, conductive elastomers, hydrogels, and rigid resins – supporting advanced performance and actuation capabilities. It delivers high-precision printing with a 25 µm optical resolution and offers flexible build volumes of Ø42 mm or Ø56 mm at 30 mm height, making it ideal for miniature components, smart devices, and multi-property prototypes.
The printer uses 405 nm UV light projected upward from beneath the resin surface to selectively cure functional materials. During material changes, high-speed centrifugal force rapidly removes uncured resin from the printed part, allowing fast and clean transitions between different vats (as shown in the schematic diagram, left). Layer by layer, this process enables the fabrication of fully integrated structures featuring high complexity, high precision, and multiple functional materials. The machine can be equipped with up to four different material vats for printing.
Application Cases
Related Papers
- Rong Wang, Chao Yuan, Jianxiang Cheng. et al., Direct 4D printing of ceramics driven by hydrogel dehydration. Nature Communications, 15, 758 (2024)
- Honggeng Li, Biao Zhang, Haitao Ye, et al., Reconfigurable 4D printing via mechanically robust covalent adaptable network shape memory polymer. Science Advances, 10, eadl4387(2024)
- Xiangnan He, Biao Zhang, Qingjiang Liu, et al., Highly conductive and stretchable nanostructured ionogels for 3D printing capacitive sensors with superior performance. Nature Communications, 15, 6431 (2024)
- Caicong Li, Jianxiang Cheng, Yunfeng He, et al., Polyelectrolyte elastomer-based ionotronic sensors with multi-mode sensing capabilities via multi-material 3D printing. Nature Communications, 14, 4853 (2023)
- Qi Ge, Zhe Chen, Jianxiang Cheng. et al., 3D printing of highly stretchable hydrogel with diverse UV curable polymers.Science Advances, 7,eaba4261(2021)
- Jianxiang Cheng, Rong Wang, Zechu Sun, et al.,Centrifugal multimaterial 3D printing of multifunctional heterogeneous objects. Nature Communications, 13, 7931 (2022)
- Biao Zhang, Honggeng Li, Jianxiang Cheng, et al., Mechanically Robust and UV-Curable Shape-Memory Polymers for Digital Light Processing Based 4D Printing. Adv. Mater. , 33, 27, 2101298 (2021)
- Xiangnan HeJianxiang ChengZhenqing Li, et al., Multimaterial Three-Dimensional Printing of Ultraviolet-Curable Ionic Conductive Elastomers with Diverse Polymers for Multifunctional Flexible Electronics.
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 15, 2, 3455‒3466(2023)