4D-textiles: development of bistable textile structures using rapid prototyping and the bionic approach

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to propose a new methodology to develop bistable textile structures with two different states of heat and moisture transfer by taking inspiration from the animal kingdom. Bionic approaches controlling thermoregulation were analyzed, implemented at the textile level and evaluated. Therefore, 4D technology has been applied. This paper presents all the steps necessary for transferring bionic concepts on the textile level by using rapid prototyping and the 4D-textile approach.

Design/methodology/approach

Concepts for thermoregulation are derived from bionic approaches and are evaluated by the metrics of low cost and high adaptability to quickly changing needs. Subsequently, bionic approaches were implemented as prototypes by printing on a pre-stretched textile using an fused deposition modeling printer. The printed patterns and properties were investigated, and the effects of each parameter were evaluated. Finally, the prototypes were tested by comparing the data from the thermal imaging camera of the two bistable states.

Findings

This paper presents two printing pattern concepts for creating textiles with two different states of thermal and moisture transfer. The results show that bionic approaches for thermoregulation transferred to the textile level are possible and quickly put into practice through 3D-printing technology as a tool for rapid prototyping.

Originality/value

The presented methodology fills the technological gap for quickly transferring bionic approaches to the textile level using the 4D-Textile technology. In addition, the possibility of generating two bistable states with different thermophysiological properties in one textile and switching between them easily was shown.

Citation

Schmidt, A.-M., Schmelzeisen, D. and Gries, T. (2022), "4D-textiles: development of bistable textile structures using rapid prototyping and the bionic approach", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 28 No. 8, pp. 1589-1597. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-12-2021-0346