Emerging Technology 4D Printing in Food Processing

Introduction: The technology behind 4D printing is comparable to that of 3D printing. It provides a further level of transformation over time where the printed object responds to environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and others to adapt to the needs.

- M.Aruna, Devabattini Sharika

It is a cutting-edge technology that is rapidly emerging from various fields, including engineering, medicine, and material science, chemistry, and computer science. This technology is built on the foundations of stereo lithography, in which a material is cured by ultraviolet light (UV) layer by layer while being printed 3,4,5. It is an efficient and precise method of making soft structure customizations. It makes use of special materials with self-deformation capabilities that are used by scientists for their study. It has broader application in tissue engineering, chemotherapy and self-assembling human scale biomaterials. By the application of this technology, there are endless possibilities which potentially impact all sectors like medical, manufacturing and education. In the medical field, there is an excellent contribution of 4D printing technology to minimize the procedure of surgery.

Comparative analysis of 4D printing with 3D printing:

The four primary printing procedures for 3D printing include stereo lithography, fused-deposition modeling, powder bed, and inkjet head. Materials with increased flexibility and mechanical and thermal qualities are primarily used in these technologies.

Benefits of 4D printing over 3D printing:

Capabilities of the printed smart products:

Users of 4D printing have a wide range of options for printing goods made of intelligent material, which has numerous uses in engineering, medicine, dentistry, and material science.

Change of product shape as per the requirement:

A 3D-printed model's shape changes over time as a result of how the product interacts to environmental factors like humidity and temperature to take on the desired shape.

Create innovation: