News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Holcim Polska completed its first 3D printed concrete drinking water tank in Barczewko, near Olsztyn, Poland. This project, achieved in collaboration with GLOBTANK, COBOD International, and the general contractor EKO-WOD Kętrzyn for the investor ZWiK Barczewo, highlights Holcim’s emerging role as a leader in innovative additive construction technologies such as the BOD 3D printers.
Azure Printed Homes, a company 3D printing homes using recycled polymers, is expanding its operations by more than 100% – directly responding to the growing need for affordable and sustainable small home and ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) solutions. Launched in 2022, Azure Printed Homes is emerging rapidly as a category leader in the creation and production of high-quality small dwellings. Azure’s small houses and ADUs have been particularly successful due to their ability to use recycled plastic polymer as their primary building material.
Mega retailer Walmart has commissioned what is being recognized as one of the largest free-standing 3D printed commercial building in the United States. The large-scale construction 3D printing project, which spans nearly 8,000 square feet and is nearly 20 feet tall, was carried out in partnership with Colorado-based Alquist 3D, which specializes in robotic concrete 3D printing.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have pioneered a revolutionary robotic additive manufacturing technique – which they called impact printing – aimed at transforming the construction industry by using circular, low-carbon materials. This new method represents a significant leap forward in sustainable construction.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), whose mandate is to tackle poverty and reduce inequalities around the globe through sustainable development, is leveraging 3D printing in its next initiative. Specifically, the UNDP has acquired a construction 3D printer from Italian company WASP, which it will deploy in Colombia to construct buildings using locally sourced materials.
Construction 3D printing has long been heralded as a solution for building affordable housing and as the technology has advanced over the years, we are now starting to see that become a reality. The latest news on this front is coming out of Australia, where the government of New South Wales has announced its intention to use 3D printing to address a shortage in housing and build the first 3D printed social housing property in the Australian state.
Black Buffalo 3D, a construction 3D printing company based out of New Jersey, is gearing up to 3D print a minimalist home design in Fort Worth, Texas on May 29 and 30th. Notably, the company is turning the build into a live event, inviting people from the additive and construction industries to witness its NEXCON 3D printing solution construct a code-compliant home.
In an initial proof of concept, voxeljet and ParaStruct GmbH have successfully tested the 3D printing of recyclable residual materials from the construction industry. For this purpose, voxeljet’s binder jetting 3D printing technology was used. The material tested was the Ecomould material set from Parastruct GmbH. This material set consists of biogenic production residues from the construction industry and a mineral binder, which was developed by the Austrian start-up.
Mighty Buildings, a 3D printing construction technology company known for its prefabricated, environmentally friendly, and climate-resilient homes, along with partners led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), has been awarded a $5 million GFO-22-305 grant from the California Energy Commission. The funding supports the partners’ work to develop, test, and demonstrate zero-carbon or near-zero-carbon, cost-effective, modular, and manufactured homes in Bay Point, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, that can be readily deployed, particularly in under-resourced communities.
RENCA, a pioneer in sustainable geopolymer materials for construction 3D printing, has set a significant milestone in the construction industry by using their zero-cement geopolymer 3D printing mortar in the construction of the world’s first 3D printed geopolymer house. The sustainability of construction materials and methods is a major global concern, given the significant pollution contributed by these elements. With emerging technologies such as 3D printing, new possibilities for reducing environmental impact are arising. This technology not only offers unparalleled freedom in design but also lessens the waste produced and the materials required.