News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
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.
According to Princeton University, researchers have taken inspiration from nature to improve crack resistance in concrete components using 3D printing. In an article, titled ‘Tough Double-Bouligand Architected Concreteitious Material using Robotic Additive Manufacturing’, published in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers, led by Reza Moini, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton, describe how their designs increased resistance to cracking by as much as 63% compared to conventional cast concrete.
The Concrete Products and Aggregate (CPAC), a subsidiary of SCG, and Samsung E&A, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a cooperation focussed on construction 3D printing and special cementitious materials commercialization opportunities. This collaboration combines the strengths of Samsung E&A from South Korea, which specializes in comprehensive international construction, with CPAC’s excellence in cement and concrete products and technology. CPAC, under SCG, has been in the construction materials industry for over a century.
In recent years, the use of large format polymer 3D printing technology in architecture has rapidly evolved, pushing the boundaries of design and sustainability. Dutch company Aectual perfectly embodies this transition and it’s latest project, the recently renovated BOSS store at İstinye Park in Istanbul, is a striking example of this trend, featuring an innovative 3D printed facade that not only serves as a bold aesthetic statement but also underscores a commitment to sustainable design.
Serendix, a Japanese 3D printer housing company (construction 3D printing service provider), has acquired three new printers, significantly expanding its printing capabilities and aiming to double its production volume.
Mighty Buildings, a 3D printing construction technology provider, is set to use Honeywell Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent (LBA) as a key component in the material it uses to build 3D printed homes. Honeywell’s low-global warming potential (GWP) technology will replace traditional foam insulation – helping Mighty Buildings reduce emissions and produce strong, energy-efficient building panels. Honeywell offers aerospace, building automation, performance materials and technologies, and safety and productivity solutions, and this collaboration is the alignment of its portfolio to three powerful megatrends, including the energy transition.
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.
Omantel, the first telecommunications company in Oman, has partnered with Innotech, an Omani 3D printing startup, to boost fish populations by 3D printing artificial reefs using concrete. The use of 3D printing technology offers several benefits with great importance in marine ecosystems. The companies will print eight 3D concrete units – which will act as a substrate for marine organisms to settle and grow – within Muscat.
According to Science Daily, a research team led by engineers at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science is pioneering the exploration of how cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), a plant-based material, can enhance 3D printed concrete technology. The team’s findings will be published in the September 2024 issue of Cement and Concrete Composites.