Procurement News Notice |
|
| PNN | 1329 |
| Work Detail | Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have discovered special 3D structures that can “remember” their original shape, even when stretched or twisted into extreme angles, according to a new study in the journal Scientific Reports. The team created the structures through a special three-dimensional printing process known as microstereolithography, in which light from a projector is used to print patterns on successive layers of resin. This allows small objects to be printed in extremely fine detail. To begin this process, researchers use computer-aided design (CAD) software to create a structure model. They then divide the model into hundreds of slices, all of which they send through the projector in the form of an image file format known as a bitmap. Finally, the projector shines and etches that pattern onto a liquid resin, which hardens to keep the shape. “We’re printing with light, layer by layer,” said study co-author Nicholas X. Fang, associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, in a statement. “It’s almost like how dentists form replicas of teeth and fill cavities, except that we’re doing it with high-resolution lenses that come from the semiconductor industry, which give us intricate parts, with dimensions comparable to the diameter of a human hair.” The process allowed the team to create structures that can be stretched up to three times their original length without breaking. They also found that, when heated to a certain temperature, the material can go back to its original form. To test this, the team printed micro-structures in a series of shapes, such as flowers, coils, and a miniature Eiffel tower. When these structures were exposed to heat within a range of 104 degrees Fahrenheit to 356 degrees Fahrenheit, they went back to their original shapes within seconds, Tech Times reports. The research also showed the memory-shape polymers can switch between a harder, low-temperature, amorphous state, and a soft, high-temperature, rubbery state. Polymers bent while at room temperature can be kept in their new form as long as needed, and then heated later on to change them back to their original, more sturdy form. The polymers respond to environmental stimuli — such as electricity, heat, and light — giving them a wide range of applications. They could be used in biomedical devices, deployable aerospace structures, and the soft actuators that move solar panels towards the sun. The team hopes to one day use this technology to create a drug delivery service that releases medicine according to shifts in body temperature. “We ultimately want to use body temperature as a trigger,” added Fang. “If we can design these polymers properly, we may be able to form a drug delivery device that will only release medicine at the sign of a fever.” |
| Country | United States , Northern America |
| Industry | Information Technology |
| Entry Date | 02 Sep 2016 |
| Source | https://www.sciencerecorder.com/news/2016/08/29/new-3d-printed-structures-can-remember-shape/ |
