Chinese company WinSun Decoration Design Engineering has a dream to revolutionize the construction industry using large format 3D printing–and it seems as though they may have succeeded. In 2013, WinSun printed ten one-story houses in a single day using large scale 3D printing. The printer created multiple pieces of the house, which then fit together on the construction site. Each home is 6.6 meters tall, 10 meters wide, and 150 meters long. The architecture design calculated paths to take into account electrical wiring, plumbing, insulation materials and windows, all which would be added once the main structure was complete. Thanks to the use of recycled materials, the environmentally-friendly, houses were cheap to construct, $5,000 each. WinSun has sold up to 100 houses to date.
Large format 3D printing reduces waste
The Shanghai-based company’s 3D printer, which took 12 years in the making, used a cement-based mixture made from construction waste and fiberglass. The company boasts the printer used up to 50% demolition waste and mining tailing for its ink, and unlike most construction sites, produced zero waste.
In an interview with the International Business Times, Ma Yihe, the CEO of WinSun, said: “Industrial waste from demolished buildings is damaging our environment, but with 3D-printing, we are able to recycle construction waste and turn it into new building materials.” He hopes that 3D printing construction materials will create a safer environment for construction workers and reduce construction costs. WinSun currently holds 77 national patents for construction materials.
Ma Yihe hopes to be creating skyscrapers someday. Other projects have included villas and six-story apartment buildings in China and a 3D printed office in Dubai. One can only imagine how WinSun will use large format 3D printing for upcoming projects.
Large format 3D printing a solution for global housing crisis?
Although perhaps not many of us dream of living in concrete houses, large format 3D printing may play a role in solving the global housing crisis. International organization, Habitat for Humanity believes affordable housing is a basic right for everyone. Their website lists 40 facts about their organization and why private home ownership brings great stability to families, neighborhoods, and communities. Children feel much more secure growing up in their own home, as opposed to a rented house. Home ownership indicates children perform better in school, are likely to experience less behavioral and emotional problems, and are more likely to go to college after high school. Currently, Habitat for Humanity relies on community volunteerism and thousands of dollars in fundraising to help families construct affordable homes, but large-scale printing may be able to reduce costs and time it takes to care for low-income families.
Construction has changed very little over time. It requires a large number of materials, depends heavily on the skill sets of craftsmen, and often times produces a large amount of waste, noise, and dust. Large format 3D printing holds promising potential for the future of construction.
How will large format 3D printing benefit your construction company?
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