Smart materials in additive manufacturing: state of the art and trends

Additive Manufacturing or 3D Printing has a great potential to develop significant advances in materials, printers’ technology, and processes.

Thus, the layer by layer manufacturing has existed for three decades and new developments recently appeared in smart materials.

Laboratories discovered ways to design and manufacture advanced structured materials and responsive materials used in multi-functional and high-performance products.

The current research and development efforts will have an impact on the traditional design and manufacturing process. 4D Printing announces a major modification in the product design and manufacturing process from static structures to dynamic structures like Shape Memory Material (SMM) with integrated functionalities.

This article presents a review of smart materials based on a classification of advanced structured materials and responsive materials before beginning a description of current applications. The use of multi-materials and the study of predictive models to simulate the responsive materials behaviour accelerate the smart materials development.

Read more:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17452759.2018.1518016

Ukraine: Latest from OSCE

As yo know, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is using Schiebel Camcopter UAVs to monitor the uneasy truce in Ukraine between Kiev and pro-Russian separatists.

The aircrafts are based near Mariupol and are being supplied and operated under contract by the Austrian manufacturer. The OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) has been present in Ukraine with a multinational team of observers throughout the conflict.

Despite claims that withdrawal of heavy weapons was completed, the SMM through the Schiebel UAV have observed the weapons movements/presence on both sides of the line of contact in the areas that are in violation of the Minsk withdrawal lines.

The SMM UAV observed on 16 May in “DPR”-controlled areas east of Mariupol two MBTs (unknown type) and three self-propelled howitzers (122mm 2S1 Gvozdika). On the same day the UAV observed three military boats (unknown type) in a “DPR”-controlled area.

On 17 May the UAV observed north-east of Mariupol in government-controlled areas one MBT (unknown type) and ten self-propelled howitzers (122mm 2S1 Gvozdika). Also on 17 May the UAV observed north-east of Mariupol in “DPR”-controlled areas seven MBTs (unknown type) and one anti-tank gun (100mm Rapira).

In addition, the UAV observed three burning houses in Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) the same day.