Deakin Team 3D-Prints Rotary Kirigami Cylinders That Snap Between Shapes

Kirigami Meets Rotary 3D Printing

Researchers at Deakin University and Seoul National University of Science and Technology have published a new method for 3D printing kirigami-inspired cylinders that can snap between multiple stable states. The work, led by Ali Zolfagharian, Moslem Mohammadi, Eui-Hyun Kim, and Keun Park, appears in the open-access journal Progress in Additive Manufacturing.

The team used a standard desktop Snapmaker 3D printer with a rotary module. Instead of printing flat layers, they printed onto a rotating shaft to create a meta-cylinder with an auxetic lattice inside. The result is a compliant mechanism that changes shape on command.

By adjusting cell shape, wall thickness, and diameter, the cylinders can be programmed for different stiffness levels and energy absorption profiles. The printed part can snap from a stiff shell into a softer, expanded state. Combining closed and expanded sections creates a sequential collapse: soft, then medium, then hard.

From Bike Handlebars to Stents

The researchers see immediate applications in medical devices, especially stents. A multistable cylinder can expand inside an artery and lock into place without a balloon. Actuators and shock absorbers are also obvious targets. A bike handlebar with two comfort modes or a helmet liner that absorbs impact and snaps back could both use this geometry.

The printing process itself is accessible. The team designed the shapes in Rhino with Grasshopper, sliced them in Cura, and adjusted the G-code for rotary mode. They printed at 100% infill using ESUN eTPU-95A flexible filament. That means anyone with a Snapmaker or similar rotary-capable machine can reproduce the work.

The hard part is the design. Modeling auxetic triangle shapes and predicting how they behave over time takes skill. But the proof that a sub-$1,000 desktop setup can produce functional metamaterials is compelling.

Why This Matters

Most metamaterial research stays in simulation or requires million-dollar metal printers. This paper keeps the material cheap, the machine affordable, and the applications practical. If the design tools improve, rotary kirigami could move from research labs to product design teams within a year or two.