Scientists from North Carolina State University have figured out a simple way to convert two-dimensional patterns into three-dimensional (3-D) objects using only light. According to Dr Michael Dickey, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NC State, “This is a novel application of existing materials, and has potential for rapid, high-volume manufacturing processes or packaging applications.”
Dr Dickey is also the co-author of a paper (“Self-folding of polymer sheets using local light absorption”) which describes the research.
The process, as researchers describe it, is remarkably simple. Taking a pre-stressed plastic sheet, they run it through a conventional inkjet printer to print bold black lines on the material. The material, then cut into a desired pattern, is placed under an infrared light, such as a heat lamp.
A news release from the university describes the technique as follows: The bold black lines absorb more energy than the rest of the material, causing the plastic to contract – creating a hinge that folds the sheets into 3-D shapes. This technique can be used to create a variety of objects, such as cubes or pyramids, without ever having to physically touch the material. The technique is compatible with commercial printing techniques, such as screen printing, roll-to-roll printing, and inkjet printing, that are inexpensive and high-throughput but inherently 2-D. By varying the width of the black lines, or hinges, researchers are able to change how far each hinge folds. For example, they can create a hinge that folds 90 degrees for a cube, or a hinge that folds 120 degrees for a pyramid. The wider the hinge, the further it folds. Wider hinges also fold faster, because there is more surface area to absorb energy.
“You can also pattern the lines on either side of the material,” Dickey adds, “which causes the hinges to fold in different directions. This allows you to create more complex structures.”
Dr Dickey is also the co-author of a paper (“Self-folding of polymer sheets using local light absorption”) which describes the research.
The process, as researchers describe it, is remarkably simple. Taking a pre-stressed plastic sheet, they run it through a conventional inkjet printer to print bold black lines on the material. The material, then cut into a desired pattern, is placed under an infrared light, such as a heat lamp.
A news release from the university describes the technique as follows: The bold black lines absorb more energy than the rest of the material, causing the plastic to contract – creating a hinge that folds the sheets into 3-D shapes. This technique can be used to create a variety of objects, such as cubes or pyramids, without ever having to physically touch the material. The technique is compatible with commercial printing techniques, such as screen printing, roll-to-roll printing, and inkjet printing, that are inexpensive and high-throughput but inherently 2-D. By varying the width of the black lines, or hinges, researchers are able to change how far each hinge folds. For example, they can create a hinge that folds 90 degrees for a cube, or a hinge that folds 120 degrees for a pyramid. The wider the hinge, the further it folds. Wider hinges also fold faster, because there is more surface area to absorb energy.
“You can also pattern the lines on either side of the material,” Dickey adds, “which causes the hinges to fold in different directions. This allows you to create more complex structures.”
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