An ontology-based framework to formalize and represent 4D printing knowledge in design

Over the last decade, 4D printing paradigm has received intensive research efforts, whether from researchers in additive manufacturing (AM) or smart materials (SMs) development. Related works have thereby generated a large number of ad-hoc solutions with relevant disparate and scattered knowledge. This lack common core knowledge is mainly due to multiple involved expertise for fabricating stimulus-reactive structures. The scientific issue federating reconciling also reinforced especially if such technology must be integrated into product design process, falling under field printing. To tackle this challenge, it becomes crucial formalize represent relating AM processes/techniques, SMs behaviours, stimuli transformation functions variety objects. In context, paper aims at developing an ontology-based framework semantic logical description transformable objects era product-process related purposes. – which built upon foundational ontology associated mereotopology describing dynamical phenomena called basic formal consists introducing domain equipped reasoning capabilities supported by logics selection distribution, sequence planning process