“Our role as a Crown Research Institute is to support industry, but it’s also about supporting the communities in which we operate. Now Morph is on the market, Greene says Scion is also using it for community education. “Machine componentry in the packaging and food processing industries, for example, could use it to detect temperature change, and even program artificial intelligence to recognise it.” It opens up opportunities for students to use it for their own research and development.”īlakley says as well as education, Morph has potential for use in the likes of the automation industry. “Initially we were interested in having a printing material we could see being used in the education sector, like high schools and universities, that has a fourth dimension to it. “We’ve worked with Scion on projects for a number of years in different capacities and the development potential of this project was two-fold for us – building the relationship further and bringing a 4D printing filament into the market. Together, Scion and Imagin Plastics worked on finalising the raw feedstock, before it was then turned into a printable filament.īen Blakley, sales and technical manager at Imagin Plastics, says what brought the two teams together was the exciting new applications for 4D printing filament. The 4D printing filament changes colour with heat and can be used to create fun and flexible objects popular with children. During its development, Scion scientists successfully printed a number of objects, including phone cases, animals such as a gecko and octopus, as well as moveable objects like stretchy bracelets. Morph is made from a flexible biodegradable polyester. In Morph’s case, its thermochromic properties means it changes colour with temperature. The concept of 4D printing is similar to 3D, where both print three dimensional objects (using length, width and height), but 4D also features an added dimension which changes over time. This is the first product that combines both properties.” “Morph is a flexible filament that is also thermochromic so, when it senses a temperature change, like holding it in your hand for example, it changes colour from black to yellow. We wanted to create a unique, flexible filament that had added functionality. “There are other fun 4D printing filaments on the market, but they are typically rigid. The Scion team that helped bring Morph to life (from left) Beatrix Theobald, Robert Abbel, Angelique Greene, Ben Davy and Rob Whitton. In the education space, Scion’s Morph development team scientist Dr Angelique Greene says the product can be used to teach students about the concept of 3D printing, with an added science component thanks to its flexibility and thermochromism. It’s expected to be popular among 3D printing hobbyists, teachers, and spark commercial interest from the automation industry for its potential to support development of temperature-sensitive machine componentry. The product, with its special stimuli-responsive feature, is the only flexible filament of its kind in New Zealand. The new filament, known as ‘Morph’ at Scion, has hit the market following a successful research collaboration between Auckland filament manufacturer Imagin Plastics and Crown Research Institute Scion.ģD printing enthusiasts will be able to use the filament to create fun and flexible objects, including bath toys, that change colour with heat. A colour-changing and flexible 4D printing filament developed by Scion scientists is set to benefit educators, industry and New Zealand’s fast-growing home-based 3D printing community.
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