2022 Trends in 3D and 4D Printing2022 Trends in 3D and 4D Printing

3D and 4D printing shows a wide range of possibilities during the coming year. Here are some examples of expansion in technology and markets.

Rob Spiegel

January 20, 2022

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3D printing (3DP) and additive manufacturing (AM) are expanding in new and surprising ways. Like conventional manufacturing, 3D and AM are getting infused with data analytics. We’re expecting new materials and we’re likely to see market consolidation.

We’re also seeing the advent of 4D printing. In recent years, 4D printing has developed into a useful technology. 4D printing is the action or process of using 3D printing techniques to create an object that is able to change its shape or properties in a predictable way over time in reaction to conditions such as exposure to water, air, heat, or electric current.

The technology is often associated with work done by MIT in conjunction with Autodesk and Stratasys. This video explains how it works and its potential uses:

 

About the Author

Rob Spiegel

Rob Spiegel serves as a senior editor for Design News. He started with Design News in 2002 as a freelancer covering sustainability issues, including the transistion in electronic components to RoHS compliance. Rob was hired by Design News as senior editor in 2011 to cover automation, manufacturing, 3D printing, robotics, AI, and more.

Prior to his work with Design News, Rob worked as a senior editor for Electronic News and Ecommerce Business. He served as contributing editolr to Automation World for eight years, and he has contributed to Supply Chain Management Review, Logistics Management, Ecommerce Times, and many other trade publications. He is the author of six books on small business and internet commerce, inclluding Net Strategy: Charting the Digital Course for Your Company's Growth.

He has been published in magazines that range from Rolling Stone to True Confessions.

Rob has won a number of awards for his technolloghy coverage, including a Maggy Award for a Design News article on the Jeep Cherokee hacking, and a Launch Team award for Ecommerce Business. Rob has also won awards for his leadership postions in the American Marketing Association and SouthWest Writers.

Before covering technology, Rob spent 10 years as publisher and owner of Chile Pepper Magazine, a national consumer food publication. He has published hundreds of poems and scores of short stories in national publications.

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