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Concrete Dreams: A Reevaluation of the Potential in 3D Printed Construction https://ift.tt/KBWrJxj House 3D printing has really captured the world’s imagination. Claims of printing houses in 24 hours and solving the housing crisis worldwide are being made in chorus. Large construction companies are piling in and local governments are getting excited. I’ve found myself seeing the future of this evolving additive construction (AC) market very differently than others, however. I think that the emphasis should be much more on other elements of this 3D printing revolution. For that reason, I propose a reavalution of sorts in order to get a more nuanced view of the true potential of AC. Generally the excitement related to the technology has been about: Directly 3D printing houses, on location, in the open air, using concrete. In this article, I’m going to breakdown each of these elements and the issues I see in them. 3D Printing on LocationFor the military, and in austere environments, 3D printing on location really makes sense. However, the whole logic of automated construction somehow making housing more available in poor areas is a strange one for me. Poor countries have high unemployment and a lack of skills training. If resources are directed at training they would result in jobs. By bringing in external equipment and skilled people AC firms are not solving a housing crisis but rather denying jobs to locals. Less developed nations may not have the integrated supply chain to manufacture cars or the infrastructure needed to produce cell phones but they could perform construction. Some AC companies are literally aiding the import of a good that supplants local labor and local industry. In a place with nothing, say the destroyed parts of Syria, construction 3D printing on location may make sense to a certain extent. However, even there, locals would benefit from jobs and skills, not to mention the hope and self-esteem generated from rebuilding their own societies. In other locations that are more stable, developing indigenous construction industries will provide jobs and build the sectors of the future. Construction is also an intermediate step that can bring inward investment and long-term growth to areas before they are able to develop other industries. 3D Printing in the Open AirIf a firm needs to print on location, it will also need to control humidity, rain, leaves, and all manner of environmental factors. Otherwise, layers could vary or harden differently as dew covers them or the sun beats down on them. Any moisture between layers could negatively impact adhesion. Frost and cold snaps would be difficult also. Ground temperature would change throughout the day, as would the temperature of the structure and the top layer. Would you like that kind of variability in your house construction? In order to protect a home from rain, it would be necessary to build a structure to cover the entire gantry or build area. I’m not sure how to shield the structure from changes in moisture, temperature and other environmental variables. It is worth noting, however, that companies like COBOD are enabling on-site construction somehow, so there may be methods of doing so, including environmentally controlled setups with tarps and other equipment. What about Prefab Construction?If businesses are going to print buildings, why not do it at one central location, like Mighty Buildings, Branch Technology, WinSun, or GE Renewable. A factory covered in solar panels and with a conditioned environment protected from the environment could be built in a location where water is plentiful and cheap.Granted if a company wanted to print an entire structure, the parts would have to fit into a number of trucks, barges or train carriages that would cost extra. However, for many structures, there isn’t much of an advantage of making a whole building in one go. In those cases, advantages would be reaped by constructing elements centrally and then shipping them to the site. For super remote construction areas, such as Alaska or areas without highway access, printing on-site may still make sense. But, for most of the world, road access would tend to lower costs. Projects could be faster by trucking in parts and only building foundations locally. Direct 3D PrintingDirect 3D printing is interesting, but there are also indirect processes with great potential. For example, ETH Zurich 3D prints thin formwork from polypropylene or other filled polymers before filling it with concrete. This process could be considerably cheaper and faster than 3D printing concrete directly. Some firms, notably Mighty Buildings and Saint Gobain, also explore the 3D printing of formwork. Houses3D printing houses may very well make sense, but the designs do not have to be the fanciful Jetsons-style homes that we currently see. Instead, they will have to be optimized for 3D printing. Think self-supporting beehives, rather than a Dune-like structures full of gaps to be traversed. Even if we look at houses as an application directly, it is not clear why they are especially appealing applications for 3D printing. They make for good media stories, sure, but, beyond that, there may be little in the way of advantages. The following, however, all make better business cases for AC: stairs, bridges, complex formwork for tunnels, small buildings in remote areas, concrete traffic barriers and blocks, and planters. These are all objects that need to be customized for a particular location or application. They are relatively low value, but the formwork represent significant costs, where time to market is important and stock is expensive. With houses, rapidly returning capital is an attractive prospect. However, if you need to make a 100 planters from 100 pieces of formwork, then the cost is derived from the formwork, not the concrete and production process. For custom objects, AM can make a huge difference. ConcreteThe single greatest misgiving that I have about the AC is the over-reliance on concrete. We can see concrete companies enter the market with strategic investments and their own materials. This is kind of like a revolution in plumbing and sanitation being driven by the lead companies. Concrete is the world’s third largest source of air pollution and represents five percent of all CO2 emissions, due to its production. To simply carry on with concrete would be a missed opportunity. In this regard, AC would not revolutionize anything aside from greenwashing campaigns. Along side this new construction paradigm, it is crucial that we produce carbon neutral or negative materials. We need to educe the energy necessary to make them, while reducing water and other resources that go into them. To do anything else would be to sell ourselves and our planet short. The post Concrete Dreams: A Reevaluation of the Potential in 3D Printed Construction appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/sGkwqaN October 28, 2022 at 09:04AM
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3D Printing News Unpeeled: UpNano High Temperature 2PP Material Electoinks Works with Fujifilm10/28/2022
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3D Printing News Unpeeled: UpNano High Temperature 2PP Material, Electoinks Works with Fujifilm https://ift.tt/dXJKbEo UpNano and Cubicure demonstrate a 2PP material with an HDT of 300C for electronics. Electoinks and Fujifilm to work together on inkjet inks for IC packaging. And Bauhaus University demonstrates a cable 3D printer for concrete. The post 3D Printing News Unpeeled: UpNano High Temperature 2PP Material, Electoinks Works with Fujifilm appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/sGkwqaN October 28, 2022 at 09:04AM
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INFACO Electric Shears Made Possible with Low-Cost SLS 3D Printing https://ift.tt/MbrXiTj French company INFACO S.A. got its start in 1984 when founder Daniel Delmas invented the first electric scissors, which won the Golden Palm Award for Best Innovation the next year. Today, the inventor’s son Davy runs the international family-owned business, which is based in Cahuzac-sur-Vère in southwestern France and has designed, produced, and sold over 400,000 pruning shears in its nearly 40 years of business. But INFACO employees know that sometimes, innovating their products means relying on more modern technologies, such as 3D printing. INFACO is the leader in the global market for electric pruning shears and other battery-powered, agricultural hand power tools. The company emphasizes in-house production, so its research and development team has to keep time-saving during product development a top priority. That’s why it employs more modern manufacturing processes when necessary. One recent example is using selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing by top Swiss SLS solutions provider Sintratec.
The French company still relies on injection molding technology to produce its final plastic parts, but has adopted 3D printing as a very helpful rapid prototyping tool for its product development cycle. The technology is often used to create prototypes of shear casings, covers, and mounts in the INFACO test lab, but in order to achieve the necessary material properties for realistic field testing of its electric shears, a change in process was needed.
That’s why, at the beginning of this year, the company decided to shift its product development to SLS 3D printing, and invested in a modular Sintratec S2 system. First introduced at formnext 2018, the industrial S2 can be expanded to fit a user’s specific needs, and integrates material preparation, 3D printing, and depowdering in a closed, semi-automatic system, consisting of the Laser Sintering Station (LSS), the Material Core Unit (MCU), and the Material Handling Station (MHS).
INFACO’s R&D team relied a lot on the Sintratec S2 to develop the F3020, the company’s latest electric scissors. According to Vergnes, it didn’t take long after the printer was installed to see just how beneficial SLS technology would be to the prototyping process for the 9th generation of the company’s shears.
The next generation design was tested, and adjustments were made, and now the F3020 electric scissors have been successfully launched on the commercial market.
In its market data for Q2 2022, SmarTech Analysis suggested that the 3D printing market achieved $6 billion in the first half of the year, and that as new AM opportunities continue to arise, especially in consumer goods and energy, the outlook remains positive for our industry. The post INFACO Electric Shears Made Possible with Low-Cost SLS 3D Printing appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/sGkwqaN October 28, 2022 at 09:04AM
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FUJIFILM to Manufacture Conductive Materials from Electroninks https://ift.tt/TkdC3iP Electroninks, an Austin-based maker/supplier of advanced manufacturing materials, announced that the company has entered into a contract manufacturing agreement with FUJIFILM Imaging Colorants Inc., a division under the umbrella of Japanese optics conglomerate FUJIFILM. Per the agreement, select silver inks from Electroninks’ portfolio of particle-free, conductive printable metals will be manufactured at Imaging Colorants Inc.’s New Castle, Delaware facility, one of the largest inkjet manufacturing facilities in the world. Electroninks has rapidly established a niche for itself within the increasingly important electronics printing market segment of the additive manufacturing (AM) sector. As the company points out in the press release concerning its agreement with FUJIFILM, the future for that market segment was also recently bolstered by the CHIPS and Science Act, which the Biden administration signed into law this past August. That act set into motion over $50 billion in federal funding towards domestic semiconductor R&D and manufacturing. Given how recently it was that Electroninks’ latest products hit the market — the company only made its inks available at production-scale about 6 months ago — the speed with which it has reached a contract agreement with a globally-consequential manufacturer is notable. Particularly, the achievement is noteworthy given the similar newness of electronics printing applications, when compared to the rest of the AM sector. Additionally, the idea of that specific scale-up happening sooner rather than later dovetails with other current developments in the AM sector, in a way that starts to raise questions about the potential linkups between all the various trajectories. As has also come to light from at least a couple of announcements over the last few months, the scale-up of the market for AM metal powders seems to be accelerating ahead of next year. Therefore, the possibility to combine different printed end-use parts into larger wholes is becoming a more and more realistic concept. Along those lines, beyond potentially marking the beginning of the AM sector’s debut in earnest, 2023 could also evolve into a real-time experiment in the formation of an entire AM-centered, advanced manufacturing economy. Much of it likely won’t be very pretty, and many companies that have established names for themselves thus far may not be holding up very well by 2024. On the other hand, companies that have created unique, coherent visions for themselves, and worked diligently to ensure that they have a purpose in the broader economy, could be household names in less than two years. It is of course too early to tell, but as of right now Electroninks seems to be safely within the latter category. The post FUJIFILM to Manufacture Conductive Materials from Electroninks appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/sGkwqaN October 28, 2022 at 09:04AM
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Post-processing to Automate 3D Printing at Formnext 2022 https://ift.tt/9mQzVey According to the new “Post-Processing for Additive Manufacturing: Market Analysis and Forecast” report from SmarTech Analysis, this niche segment of the 3D printing sector is expected to reach $1.8 billion by 2031. This explosive growth from just $320 million today is already taking shape at Formnext 2022, where numerous companies are introducing unique post-processing solutions that will automate what is generally a labor- and cost-intensive aspect of the 3D printing workflow. These are just a few of the announcements that have been made ahead of the event. Depowdering Software for Metal 3D PrintingThe post-processing segment is extremely small, with about 80 percent of the providers being 3D printer makers themselves. Outside of these original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), there are just a handful of leading names, among which is Solukon. The company focuses on automatic depowdering, boasting such clients as Siemens, Audi, and Lockheed Martin. After releasing depowdering machines, as well as a sensor and interface kit, the Augsburg firm is now commercializing a unique software dubbed SPR-Pathfinder. Not to be confused with strategic petroleum reserves, SPR-Pathfinder is a tool that makes a digital twin of a 3D printed part in order to generate the best operation for removing powder from the prints. Solukon’s depowdering machines work performing rotation and targeted vibration to remove loose powder from 3D printed parts. Using flow simulation and the part’s digital twin, SPR-Pathfinder performs the ideal motion sequence to clean complex items. SPR-Pathfinder was developed by Siemens Technology in a joint project with Solukon, resulting in the team receiving the TCT Postprocessing Award for 2019. The software was used solely by development partners, but now that Solukon has acquired exclusive rights to the software, it is now being released commercially to Solukon customers. Depowdering for Polymer 3D Printing from EOSAlready a user of Solukon’s metal depowdering, EOS is now partnering with PostProcess Technologies to distribute the latter’s Variable Acoustic Displacement (VAD) technology. VAD performs the release, transfer, and recovery of loose powder in a thermodynamically controlled process with video and infrared monitoring. In addition to improved post-processing time and overall lower operating costs, VAD is said to improve employee safety, repeatability, and productivity. Nikolai Zaepernick, Chief Business Officer at EOS, said, “This partnership with PostProcess provides a digital connection that enables traceability and connectivity. We found the perfect match with PostProcess in providing our customers with sustainable automated post-processing for their delicate and complex parts manufactured using the EOS P 500.” VAD was introduced in 2020 and is still under an Early Access Program for customers to use the technology. PostProcess suggests that it “been operating successfully with large industrial customers, processing hundreds of SLS cakes and thousands of parts in production environments.” Now, EOS will help spread VAD further with its own selective laser sintering customers. Digital Manufacturing Factory of the FutureAnother leader in the post-processing space, AMT, will be presenting a two-story, nearly-200-square-meter booth at Formnext as a means of conveying a Digital Manufacturing Factory of the Future concept. The booth will feature a PostPro DP Max cleaning system, more than one SF chemical vapor smoothing machines, an End-to-End Digital Manufacturing System (DMS), and a new “ground-breaking material-specific Surface Finishing system” to be announced at the event. Altogether, this will be arranged in such a way as to communicate a factory of the future, created with Steel Roots Design. Additionally, the company will be hosting its second annual PostPro Fest Formnext networking event on the night of Wednesday November 16, 2022, at Chinaski Frankfurt. Information about the event and how to register can be found here. The post Post-processing to Automate 3D Printing at Formnext 2022 appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/sGkwqaN October 28, 2022 at 09:04AM
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Emerging Metal 3D Printing Technology from CalTech: Hydrogel Infusion https://ift.tt/6Qardu9 CalTech has been doing interesting work in 3D printing for a number of years now, especially Professor Julia Greer and the Greer Group. The team works in hierarchical, nano, battery and other new materials, as well as processes for 3D printing. One novel area that the team have been doing exploring over the years is related to hydrogel derived materials. 3D Printing Metal Parts with HydrogelsBy and large, these processes use vat photopolymerization to produce structures using hydrogels. These structures are then filled with metal or ceramic precursors which are then turned into the final metal component through a reaction. In some cases, the team has worked in metal oxides, namely zinc oxide, but also on manufacturing electrodes. Typically, the approach of the researchers could be a very fruitful one because it can rely on standard vat polymerization processes, such as digital light processing (DLP), stereolithography (SLA) and masked SLA (mSLA) using standard printers and materials. Now, in a paper in Nature, titled “Additive manufacturing of micro-architected metals via hydrogel infusion,” written by Max A Saccone and Rebecca A Gallivan, we learn of a new refined approach to metal printing. The team is using vat photopolymerization, specifically DLP, to 3D print hydrogels before filling the structure with metal precursors and calcinating them, a thermal process that, when applied here, results in metal parts. The team says that it has made objects with a size of around 40 µm with very high hardness. Furthermore, the researchers believe that materials could be tuned and even make multilateral parts. The tested lattice structures are made with beams of around 50 μm, resulting in hard parts with feature sizes of 100 μm. The researchers have worked with nickel, silver and copper, as well as tungsten niobium, a refractory metal combination that is difficult to shape. They were also able to blend multiple materials, such as copper and cobalt. A unique feature of the work is that, starting from the hydrogel step, it’s possible to put different salts in different areas, which can then be simultaneously calcined. A curious detail is that hardness seems to be between 47% and 15% higher than anticipated, which could be something to be exploited further. Generally, there is a need to control calcination, which could be a bit of an impediment to industrializing this for many geometries. Shrinkage is about 60%, which could also limit geometries and process control. Indirect Metal 3D Printing for Small PartsThrough the use of standard chemistries, there is no need for new machines or settings, and costs are kept low. This could lead to this technology being adopted quite rapidly by service bureaus because they have the requisite equipment and knowledge of part of the process. It’s also easy to see how companies like Arkema or Stratasys’s materials unit could get behind this approach. A lot of parties could band together to industrialize this. Furthermore, through the use of vat photopolymerization they can ride the wave of this technology in producing accurate, tiny details and features. The resulting parts are small and accurate. Perhaps for creating networks of tiny channels, this technology could be a very high performing one indeed.
Similar work is being done with direct write 3D printing and two photon photopolymerization. Another approach results in vat polymerized parts that are carbonized, making for good conductors. On the whole here, the details related to hardness, refractories, and thin beam lattices could be unique.
Now, there are other technologies out there. HoloAM, MetShape, Incus and Lithoz use what I refer to as “slurry SLA”, in which a resin is preloaded with metal particles and then printed using vat photopolymerization systems. Parts are then debound and sintered. Of course, this requires numerous steps and the part sizes for slurry SLA are not large. Sintering exposes results in issues with shrinkage, as well. However, for certain geometries, slurry SLA makes detailed parts with great internal surface texture (because the resin is the support and washes out). For slightly larger parts, there’s binder jet, which can in and of itself be a highly productive and inexpensive technology. One might also consider lost wax casting together with vat photopolymerization. For tiny parts, one would probably not consider material extrusion or powder bed fusion. But, there are a few micro machining and printing technologies that may be competitive here.
All of these technologies are battling for a potentially very competitive space, where billions of optimized sub-centimeter to sub-micron components could make a difference in manufacturing, electronics, medicine and industrial use. The volumes attainable for the company that cracks this could be astounding. MOSFET-like devices, heat sinks, electronics components, antenna, batteries, sensors and more could all lead to millions or perhaps billions of parts. For that to happen someone has to be able to make the right geometry at the right specification for the right price. When compared to alternative technologies, matrix-like structures, filters, TPMS fields, meshes and applications like flexible batteries might be best 3D printed with this technology. A small, yet strong lattice twould be an excellent application for this technology. Now, of course, it would need to be industrialized first and would require new equipment. This is still very early days yet, but could be a very fruitful approach. Top image, Max Saccone. The post Emerging Metal 3D Printing Technology from CalTech: Hydrogel Infusion appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/sGkwqaN October 28, 2022 at 09:04AM USPS Continues Network Investments ahead of Holiday Season; Service Performance Remains Strong Across Nation https://ift.tt/MUWlFCj WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service reported new delivery performance metrics through the third week of the FY2023 first quarter. During the reporting period, the average time to deliver a mailpiece or package across the postal network was 2.6 days. Printing via USPS News https://ift.tt/9s63gLc October 28, 2022 at 08:27AM USPS Continues Network Investments ahead of Holiday Season; Service Performance Remains Strong Across Nation https://ift.tt/Ot8WZpy WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service reported new delivery performance metrics through the third week of the FY2023 first quarter. During the reporting period, the average time to deliver a mailpiece or package across the postal network was 2.6 days. Printing via USPS News https://ift.tt/9s63gLc October 28, 2022 at 08:02AM
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3D Printing News Unpeeled: New Capillary Braiding 3D Printing Technology https://ift.tt/NU5tjFx
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3D Printing News Briefs, October 26, 2022: Metal Alloys, Construction, & More https://ift.tt/KIFgH2x In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, we’re starting with research out of the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation on 3D printing sensors in a single operation, and then on to research from Monash University about 3D printing an ultra strong commercial titanium alloy. Eplus3D developed a high-quality metal 3D printing process for Constellium’s Aheadd CP1 aluminum alloy. Finally, in construction news, BAM installed the first 3D printed concrete staircase in Scotland, and Autodesk Research partnered with Dar to build a smart bridge. Fraunhofer IPA 3D Printing Electronic Devices in Single OperationsA team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) developed a way to 3D print sensors and other electronic devices in a single operation, through the use of conductive plastics. The team, with Fraunhofer IPA’s Center for Additive Manufacturing Technologies, 3D printed inductive proximity sensors in a variety of shapes, though the process had to be stopped multiple times to lay the conductor tracks in the housing. In phase two of the project, the team partnered with Arburg to determine which conductive plastics, instead of silver or copper, could be used, and experimented with different thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), which are conductive if they have enough carbon black particles. After determining the TPE with the lowest electrical resistance for the greatest amount of possible applications, the team tested the material by exposing it to heat and cold, passed current through it at increasingly higher voltages, and artificially aged and stretched it to see how conductivity would be affected under age and tension. Additionally, the researchers also needed to determine the proper settings for Arburg’s Freeformer AM system, to see whether a horizontal or vertical print orientation affects the completed components’ conductivity. To achieve its purpose, conductive TPE must be embedded in another thermoplastic with insulating properties during 3D printing so they can bond, but not smear. Possible applications for the research team’s work include capacitive sensors, like level gauges or touch switches, and orthoses that release heat to support healing. Monash Engineers 3D Printing Ultra-Strong Titanium AlloyA published study, led by engineers at Monash University, explained how a 3D printing method was used to create an ultra-strong commercial titanium alloy, which they say has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any 3D printed metal to date. Titanium alloys are the top 3D printed metal component in the aerospace industry, but most commercially 3D printed ones have inadequate properties for many structural applications. These researchers used 3D printing to manipulate a novel microstructure, which resulted in “unprecedented mechanical performance” and could represent a major leap forward for aerospace, defense, energy, and biomedical sectors. Their findings are expected to lead to insights into the principles of strengthening and dislocation engineering in physical metallurgy, and can be applied immediately.
Eplus3D Developed Metal AM Process for Aheadd CP1 AlloyLaser powder bed fusion (LPBF) 3D printer manufacturer Eplus3D has developed a high-quality LPBF process for the Aheadd CP1 aluminum alloy commercialized by Constellium (NYSE: CSTM), a global manufacturer of aluminum rolled products, extruded products, and structural parts based on a variety of advanced alloys. Both companies believe that this development will enable users of 3D printed aluminum components in the aerospace, automotive, and packaging markets, as well as others, to design new applications, benefit from lowering the cost of production, push the boundaries of current business cases, and increase productivity for better ROI. Designed specifically for LPBF processes, the Aheadd CP1 alloy features thermal conductivity and strength, and its silicon-free chemistry allows for high-quality anodization for 3D printed components; this will be especially useful in semiconductor equipment manufacturing. Additionally, its high productivity makes it a great solution for applications that require scalability and major cost reduction for series production. Eplus3D’s large-scale, multi-laser metal systems are able to achieve impressive print quality of average density, and the high ductility of Constellium’s Aheadd CP1 in its as-built state will allow the manufacturer’s customers to print large components with little geometrical distortion. Scotland’s First Concrete 3D Printed Staircase Installed for Glasgow BridgeThe first contractor in Scotland to use 3D concrete printing (3DCP) is BAM, as it’s installed the staircase that will provide access to the new Sighthill Bridge across the M8 in Glasgow, which is believed to be the UK’s largest 3D printed construction to date. BAM, which is working on behalf of the Glasgow City Council, recently craned in the new staircase, which was printed by Weber Bemix in its Dutch factory before being shipped to Scotland. Once fully installed, the 3D printed steps will be clad in granite for a long-lasting, slip-free, and attractive finish, and will be just as strong as if poured onsite. By using 3D printing to build the staircase and bridge, precise and intricate shapes can be achieved to create a unique structure, and waste is reduced by 40% in removing unnecessary molds and materials, which also keeps costs down. Once completed, the pedestrian and cycle bridge will connect Glasgow City Centre to the Sighthill area in a new sustainable transport corridor.
https://youtu.be/lBf1HhfPwcY Autodesk Research and Dar Build A Smart BridgeFinally, Autodesk Research and Dar, an international multidisciplinary consulting organization, recently revealed a 5-meter smart bridge that combines artificial intelligence, 3D printing, generative and parametric design, advanced robotics, recycled polymer materials, and sensing technologies. The two successfully manufactured the bridge, which shares critical data with a digital twin and builds on the success of their award-winning 2-meter Smart Bridge proof of concept. The objective of the joint project was to test out 3D printing technologies workflows, and materials in order to facilitate effective, sustainable 3D printing of bridges, buildings, and other large-scale infrastructure. Recycled PETG and glass fiber were used to print the single-propped cantilevered bridge, and it’s composed of 70% recycled material. One of the lessons learned the team took from the first smart bridge printing it at an angle, which offers more flexibility and reduces the time needed to print a single layer. Additionally, while the first bridge was printed as a hollow structure, this one features an infill that mimics bone structure and functions as a lattice assembly. They used parametric design to optimize the gyroid infill pattern in order to minimize additional weight and maximize stiffness. FBG sensors were integrated into the deck, while traditional strain gauges were integrated in the support, to offer continuous data on the health and performance of the bridge. This data is transmitted to, and represented on, a digital twin platform, which conveys the real-time conditions of the bridge. You can learn more in the video found here. The post 3D Printing News Briefs, October 26, 2022: Metal Alloys, Construction, & More appeared first on 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://ift.tt/zOtKe4N October 27, 2022 at 08:53AM |
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