published in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies, has allowed them to open new possibilities by developing a novel 4D-printing methodology. " This technology allows us to not only control the way we print three-dimensional structures, but also to give them the ability to change their properties or geometry in response to the action of external magnetic fields, or the ability to modify their electric properties when they deform " , explained one of the researchers, Daniel García González, Head of the ERC 4D-BIOMAP (GA 947723) project and Associate Professor in UC3M's Department of Continuum Mechanics and Structure Theory. This type of printing is complex since the material to be extruded transitions from liquid to solid during the printing process. It is therefore necessary to understand the material dynamics to adapt the manufacturing process and obtain a material which is sufficiently liquid when it flows through the printer nozzle but solid enough to maintain a specific shape. To this end, they have developed an interdisciplinary methodology that combines theoretical and experimental A new smart printer enables the manufacture of soft multifunctional materials by continuously adapting extrusion parameters. Combining experimental and computational methods, it prints conductive and magneto-active materials with mechanical properties that mimic biological tissues. (Image: UC3M) Tech Briefs, April 2024 www.techbriefs.com 29http://info.hotims.com/86254-730 http://www.techbriefs.com