International Journal of Analytical, Experimental and Finite Element Analysis
Volume 13 · Issue 3 · August 2026 · pp. 101–117
Research / Review Article · Peer Reviewed
Received: May 20, 2026 · Accepted: July 31, 2026 · Published: August 18, 2026
DOI: 10.26706/ijaefea.20260801
Open Access · CC BY 4.0

4D Printing via Fused Deposition Modelling: A Comprehensive Study on Shape Memory Polymers, Process Parameter Optimization, and Technical Specifications for PLA and TPU Materials

M. G. Trivedi1,*, Dr. C. R. Patil2

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Prof. Ram Meghe Institute of Technology and Research, Badnera, Amaravati, India
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Prof. Ram Meghe Institute of Technology and Research, Badnera, Amaravati, India

Email: mg3vedi@gmail.com, crpatil333@rediffmail.com

*Corresponding author: mg3vedi@gmail.com

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Abstract

Imagine walking into a manufacturing facility and watching a 3D printer create objects that don't just sit on a shelf—they actually transform themselves over time in response to their environment. That's the promise of 4D printing [1]. Formally defined as 3D printing plus time, this emerging technology uses smart materials that react to environmental triggers like temperature, water, or light, causing predictable physical changes [1]. Among all the additive manufacturing approaches available today, Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) stands out as the most practical and accessible for 4D printing [2], [3], [4]. This paper explores FDM-based 4D printing in depth, focusing specifically on two key materials: Polylactic Acid (PLA), a rigid, biodegradable polymer that works well for creating precise structures [5], [6], and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), which comes in different hardness grades (95A, 93A, and 85A) for creating flexible, compliant components [7], [8]. The research shows that getting the right results depends heavily on carefully controlling specific manufacturing parameters—things like nozzle temperature, how fast material is pushed through the nozzle, and layer thickness [9], [10]. What we found is that each material behaves very differently: PLA responds best to adjusting layer thickness [11], while TPU requires an incredibly tight control of extrusion speed (somewhere between 990 and 1045 mm/min for TPU 95A—a very narrow window) [10]. The potential applications are genuinely impressive, ranging from customized medical stents that fit each patient's unique anatomy [12] to soft robotic grippers that can manipulate delicate objects [13], [14]. However, there's a real limitation we need to address: when these structures go through multiple transformation cycles, they gradually lose performance—dropping from 98% recovery on the first cycle to 87% by the fifth cycle in PLA [15], [16]. This paper pulls together what we've learned about the materials, the manufacturing process, and practical implementation to create a working framework that engineers and manufacturers can actually use [17]. The analysis reveals that successful 4D printing implementation requires balancing multiple factors simultaneously: material science knowledge, manufacturing expertise, proper equipment setup, precise process control, smart design thinking, strategic build orientation, and rigorous quality checking.

Keywords

4D printing FDM SMPs PLA Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) Process parameter optimization Material conditioning Soft robotics and actuators Medical device manufacturing Additive manufacturing technologies Thermomechanical properties Stimulus-responsive materials Cyclic shape recovery Build orientation effects Material anisotropy

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