Multi-material additive manufacturing in architecture and construction: A review

Multi-Material Additive Manufacturing (MMAM) is an emerging manufacturing approach that is gaining interest in architecture and construction as an expansion of Additive Manufacturing. Hereby, different materials or material properties are combined in a single additive process in order to create objects that are composed of multiple materials....

Additive manufacturing of non-assembly mechanisms

Fabrication of complex and multi-articulated mechanisms is often seen as a time consuming and demanding process. The development of functional multi-articulated mechanisms that could be fabricated in a single step without the need for post-manufacturing assembly is therefore very attractive. Additive manufacturing (AM) has been pointed out as...

Additive manufacturing of medical instruments: A state-of-the-art review

Goal: Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has begun to play a significant role in the field of medical devices. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview and classification of additively manufactured medical instruments for diagnostics and surgery by identifying medical and technical aspects. Methods: A scientific...

4D printed shape-shifting biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications

The existing 3D printing methods exhibit certain fabrication-dependent limitations for printing curved constructs that are relevant for many tissues. Four-dimensional (4D) printing is an emerging technology that is expected to revolutionize the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM). 4D printing is based on 3D printing,...

Design of non-assembly mechanisms: A state-of-the-art review

Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing has enabled the production of increasingly complex parts that are difficult to produce with conventional manufacturing methods. Its additive nature has made it possible to create interlocking parts in a single production step. This creates opportunities for new ways of designing and producing...

3D Printing for Space Habitats: Requirements, Challenges, and Recent Advances

Heavily resource-reliant transportation and harsh living conditions, where humans cannot survive without a proper habitat, have prevented humans from establishing colonies on the Moon and Mars. Due to the absence of an atmosphere, potential habitats on the Moon or Mars require thick and strong structures that can withstand artificially...

Additive manufacturing in cities: Closing circular resource loops

Cities are the core of social interactions and resource consumption in our current times. However, urban systems are still largely based on linear activities in which resources are discarded after usage. Current practices around waste reduce possibilities of circularity, mainly due to low percentages of sorting and recycling practices in high...

Use of 3D printing to create multifunctional cementitious composites: Review, challenges and opportunities

Additive manufacturing has been a topic of interest in the construction industry for the past decade. 3D printing of concrete structures promises great improvements in construction efficiency, waste reduction, and shape optimization. Another field where additive manufacturing offers opportunities is on the material level of cementitious...

A review of the fatigue behavior of 3D printed polymers

As additive manufacturing of polymeric materials is becoming more prevalent throughout industry and research communities, it is important to ensure that 3D printed parts are able to withstand mechanical and environmental stresses that occur when in use, including the sub-critical cyclic loads that could result in fatigue crack propagation and...