Here at 3D Rapid Print, one of the fastest growing 3D Printing companies in the Thames Valley, we like to keep abreast of the latest innovations in 3D printing.
Circa January 2019, the self-proclaimed “Europa’s eerste commerciële, industriële productielocatie voor het 3D printen van betonnen elementen voor de bouw” (Europe’s first commercial and industrial 3D printed concrete construction elements production site) opened in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The site is already being used to fulfil an order for four bicycle bridges for the province of North Holland. Partners in the project include:
- Construction services company Koninklijke BAM Groep of Bunnik in Utrecht, who build almost anything and had revenues of more than €7.2 billion in 2018.
- Construction supplies company Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix (also of Eindhoven) that supply almost anything that can be stuck to a building. They are part of French multinational construction and high-performance material producer Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. of La Défense, Courbevoie, who employ 180,000 people worldwide and had sales revenues of €41.8 billion in 2018.
- Steel wire and coatings company Bekaert of Kortrijk in Belgium; their 2018 sales revenues were more than €5 billion.
- Self-proclaimed “contributing to a sustainable society” engineering and consultancy firm Witteveen+Bos of Deventer in Overijssel, who employ more than 1,000 people across 11 countries.
- The Eindhoven University of Technology.
The Eindhoven University of Technology, Saint Gobain-Weber Beamix and Witteveen+Bos are also collaborating on Project Milestone, a project to make five 3D printed concrete houses in Eindhoven, which the site will also be used for.
In March 2015, Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis of the university of Southern California, who is best known for his invention of the technique of contour crafting, predicted that 3D printed houses would become widespread by the year 2020. While this still has a long way to go, 3D printing’s part in the construction industry has significantly evolved since the days of isolated start-ups like Enrico Dini’s D-Shape of Pisa, Italy.
3D printing is an amazing tool. It can grow your small business or start a mini revolution in an industry. Explore what it can do for you when you contact us today.
Disclaimer: Featured image of “Louis-Emile Durandelle, The Eiffel Tower – State of the Construction, 1888” is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or less.
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