News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
According to the Qatari News Agency (QNA), the pavilion of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) TASMU (SMART Qatar) has entered the Guinness World Records Book as the longest independent concrete structure built using 3D printing technology.
Progreso, a leader in Central and South America’s cement industry, has inaugurated Guatemala’s first-ever 3D printed building, through its corporate accelerator, Progreso X. The milestone was achieved in collaboration with Danish 3DCP Group, utilizing COBOD International’s BOD2 construction 3D printer.
Construction hardware specialist Putzmeister presented many innovations relating to the construction site of tomorrow at the bauma fair in Munich. The German company is looking at construction 3D printing technology to address low productivity and the shortage of skilled workers, particularly by introducing the mobile and highly automated KARLOS 3D printer.
The renovated N243 highway between Alkmaar and Koggenland was officially opened. Over the past years, extensive work has been done to redesign the Schermerhornerweg, Middenweg, and Noordervaart (N243). With these adjustments, the road has been made safer, given a ‘greener’ appearance, and is now ready for many more years of use. For this project, Saint-Gobain Weber 3D printed three different bicycle bridges in their industrial 3D production line in Eindhoven.
According to India’s ETGovernment.com, Lieutenant General Rajeev Chaudhry, Director General of Border Roads, recently inspected the under-construction Himank Air Dispatch Unit, which is set to be the world’s largest 3D printed campus (and was built using COBOD technology).
According to the Jerusalem Post, Israel-based Ackerstein Industries, a frontrunner in producing eco-friendly concrete solutions for infrastructure and industrial construction, is expanding its innovative efforts into 3D concrete printing.
Emergent, a pioneer in advanced construction technology, has completed the first 3D concrete printed (3DCP) home in California. The event marks a significant milestone, with the property conforming fully to the state’s stringent building codes – the most rigorous in the United States, driven among others by regional seismic activity.
According to Gulf News, the Dubai Municipality has officially announced the issuance of the first construction license for a privately-owned villa utilizing 3D printing technology. The villa, to be situated in the Al Awir 1 sector of Dubai, will be fabricated in one continuous printing process, as per the municipality.
Infrastructure is emerging as a key area of development for concrete 3D printing. Cambridge researchers, working in partnership with industry and specialist companies like Versarien, have helped develop the first 3D printed piece of concrete infrastructure to be used on a National Highways project. The 3D printed structure – a type of retaining wall known as a headwall – has been installed on the A30 in Cornwall, where it is providing real-time information thanks to Cambridge-designed sensors embedded in its structure. The sensors provide up-to-date measurements including temperature, strain and pressure. This digital twin of the wall could help spot and correct faults before they occur.
CyBe Construction, a leading provider of 3D concrete printers, and the South African Housing & Infrastructure Fund (SAHIF) have joined forces in a collaboration aimed at tackling the pressing housing shortage in South Africa. The joint effort will leverage innovative 3D concrete printing technology to deliver faster, cheaper, and more sustainable homes. This strategic cooperation comes in response to the urgent need for affordable housing, and represents a significant step toward achieving the United Nations’ goal of providing safe and accessible housing for all by 2030.