Additive Manufacturing of Shape Memory Polymer Composites for Futuristic Technology

Development in device, structure, design, and space component mechanisms is essential for performance and cost. Direct human interaction and monitoring are complicated in the aeronautical and space industry for morphing the structure-like winglet movement according to environmental change, which currently takes place by electromechanical sensing and response. This kind of system demands timely maintenance and control. Alteration of this bulkiness is provided by a viable technology called 4D printing, which incorporates the interdisciplinary study of three-dimensional printing, intelligent materials, stimulus, and design. In contrast to static-natured additive manufactured or 3D printed structures, four-dimensional (4D) printing enables transformation in objects under application of the correct environmental command like temperature, ohmic energy, water, light, magnetic energy, and much more. The insight of 4D printing is due to focus-researched intelligent materials such as shape memory polymers (SMP), shape memory alloys (SMA), and their composites. Shape memory polymer composites (SMPC) are an emerging class of insolent structural substances that can be inelastically abnormal and regain its standard shape by an external environmental change which serves in demanding applications like medical, origami, sensors, and robotics, and in aerospace structures such as solar arrays, deployable panels, cells, booms, self-deployable structures, reflector antennas, and more. Herein, this review amalgamates progress of four-dimensional printing with a combination of 3D printing, shape memory polymers, additive effect on its structural as well as shape-memorizing qualities, SMPC, composite fabrication methods, actuation medium, mechanism, and focus on SMPC in future applications with natural stimuli like solar energy, light, vibration, water, and more in self-actuation robots, wearable electronics, satellite hinges, in whole, aero-mechanical sectors, soft robotics industries, innovative electronics areas, defense sectors, and so on.