Digital manufacture of shape changing components

In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of controlling the shape changing sequence of shape memory polymers created from digital manufacturing by exploiting multi-shape memory effects. We create shape memory polymer components with precise architectures by 3D printing. After subjecting them to model-based thermomechanical programming steps, the components assume specified configurations in a precisely controlled shape changing sequence. The use of the 3D printing technique enables the digital manufacturing route with the advantages of easy implementation, large design freedom, and high printing resolution of shape memory polymer components. The results in this paper provide a method for precisely controlling the shape recovery profile and enabling the manufacture of devices with complicated geometries and unprecedented multifunctional performance.