Top Six: 3D printing

The first house has already been printed in China in 2016. But the technology itself is in development and the construction details still look rough, if not ugly. We still have to wait some years before the first 3D printers will be perfected enough to be used on a larger scale. But that doesn’t mean that there are no companies who are trying to build them.

They follow one of the two principles: printing on-site, which is difficult for different technical reasons. Printing off-site and then assembling is at this moment a much more feasible option. The biggest challenge is not that much the technology, but the construction regulations. As there are very few examples of 3D printed buildings, it may take some time for this technology to be tested and proven to be safe and sustainable.

1. Winsun (link)

Not surprisingly the biggest development is happening in China. The Winsum have printed that experimental house in 2016, and are now printing different construction details. they use a printer with rough sizes 30x10x4 m! At this point not much is known, but lets hope they will be surprising us soon.

2. Cazza (link)

This San Franisco-based startup has most probably developed the most advanced 3D printer for the concrete on the market. The printer is a single movable fuse on an extended robot arm, and it can move around the construction site. The later part is especially valuable, as the robot can construct very big objects with complete independence. Their machines also look very futuristic. Also their business model is interesting: they are franchising the robots. In a way it makes sense, as robots are not yet tested on the larger scale and they cost a lot of money. This way they can incentivise the contractors to give robots a try, thus expanding their market and their market shares.

3. Voxeljet (link)

When talking about 3D printing in general, Voxeljet is one of the market leaders. They can print really precise objects and are (for now). In the architecture/construction field (not their core focus) they develop architectural models and replicas. They are, for example, making replicas of the sculptures in the Cologne cathedral. Their advantage is that they can “print” sand molds, thus fastening the molding process and allowing more complex forms. They claim they printed the first house, but I am taking it with a little bit of reserve. It is very small, more like a dwelling, and made of plastics. Hopefully they would be able to print concrete, too, as it is still the standard material in construction. In contrast with Apis cor they print off-site. Being good in molding (printing) can be advantageous, as they can print more complex objects with greater precision.

4. XtreeE (link)

This french startup with a very unusual name embodies its country's fame of beauty in the best possible way: there is a high sense of design in their 3D prints, which is very rare. So far the concrete 3D prints look rough and unrefined, sometimes even ugly. This young french team has developed a method of printing straight, even lines, which per-se look astonishing. They are pushing the limits of what is possible to achieve today and I can see many new opportunities for them in the future. Maybe even more in, let's name it additional structures: non-bearing walls, furniture, bollards, benches, fences, pools, exteriors in general. Just think of the possibilities: Curved walls in the most wild shapes, paravans, sunshades, bollards, all shaped as trees. For now they offer only off-site printing. One of the unfortunate setbacks could be their name, which sounds very similar to a very popular IBM program.

5. CyBe (link)

If XtreeE is more design-oriented, CyBe focuses much more on the technological possibilities. I have a feeling they will be the first European team to achieve on-site large scale printing, which will be the game changer in construction. They are developing their own printers, but also their own software and concrete. As far as I know, they are the only company covering all three key components, which will give them an edge in comparison with their competition.

6. ROB (link)

3D printing in construction may at one involve everything from bricklaying to woodcutting and concrete pouring. Many materials, many techniques, many different conflicts. This Zürich-based team focuses on developing the software for cutting, welding, printing, or other assembly procedures in construction. They are programming robots for non-standard constructions, which is a very important (and complex) task. The second focus of them is the automation of those same machines, so that they can work faster and more efficient.

Honorary mention: Apis Cor (link)

They must be the most talked-about startup in the field of 3D printing in construction. They are developing an on-site mobile 3D printer, which looks more or less like a small crane with a fuse at the end of the arm. This year they have built their first house and it took them less than 24 hours! Even though not much is known about this mixed USA, Russia, UAE team, I truly hope the future looks bright for them. I am still wondering what is their core business model - are they planning to build and sell (lend) the printers to construction teams, or do they want to be the contractor?