The Future of 3D Manufacturing

The industry of 3D manufacturing has been under progressive development for over two decades. Already today, 3D printers are capable of creating and outputting actual physical objects, things like medical implants, mechanical parts, and even jewelry.  Initially objects created using 3D printers typically served as prototypes or models, however, now they are being implemented and configured into final products increasingly more often. The advancing research has allowed for a wider use of materials for the printing, including plastics and metals. 3D printers are now being rescaled to be capable to print better and bigger things.   Possibly one of the most interesting applications of 3D manufacturing technologies in the civil engineering world is the 3D concrete printing. A professor from the University of Southern California, Behrokh Khoshnevis, has developed a method of creating entire houses out of 3D manufactured building elements. The structure is built layer by layer using concrete with automatic reinforcement, with plumbing and electrical wiring added during the process. The method is a direct result of implementing a process called Contour Crafting. The main advantages of the process include the superior quality of the finished surface as well as the greatly increased speed of production. As mentioned by Khoshnevis during his TEDx presentation, an average size family house of 25,000 sq ft custom designed may be ready in about twenty hours.  This method of construction also provides for an easy manufacturing of irregular wall shapes and other building elements without the added cost. The method itself is additive in contrast to typical subtractive construction techniques, which result in enormous amounts of waste. Contour Crafting printer extrudes an object with near perfect precision and without any waste. The result is dramatic savings in total material and energy use, less need for transportation of materials and equipment, safer conditions for workers. The latter point is of special interest since a profession in construction is often considered to be the one of the most dangerous occupations.  3D concrete printing has a clear ability to significantly alter the building industry of the future. It provides numerous opportunities for application, including emergency housing for the victims of hurricanes and other natural disasters and low-income housing. http://www.economist.com/node/18114221 http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/a-giant-3d-printer-builds-a-livable-house/28301 http://www.contourcrafting.org/