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3D Printing Webinar and Virtual Event Roundup, June 28, 2020

This week is packed full with 3D printing webinars and virtual events, with four taking place Tuesday, and two each on Wednesday and Thursday. We’ll tell you all about them below!

Digital Manufacturing Investor Day

First up, software provider Dyndrite will be hosting its first ever Digital Manufacturing Investor Day on Tuesday, June 30th, featuring both pre-recorded and live content. Investors and venture capital companies have been invited to hear lightning presentations by hardware and software startups from all around the world, and several industry investment firms will also give panel presentations. The advisors for the inaugural Digital Manufacturing Investor Day are Gradient Ventures, HP Tech Ventures, and The House Fund.

“This virtual event is an initiative to help link startups in the digital manufacturing space to investors in the industry. As supply chains have been recently disrupted and workforces have to remain distanced, so new digital manufacturing technology becomes even more critical as manufacturers figure out how to tackle these challenges.”

Additive Manufacturing for Aircraft Interiors

Also on June 30th, a webinar about 3D printed aerospace applications will take place from 9-10 am EDT. “Additive Manufacturing for Aircraft Interiors – doing the trick for the In-Service Market” will discuss the use of polymer 3D printed parts for future aircraft cabins, how the technology can save money and time, possible new business opportunities for Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Providers (MROs), and what issues still remain, such as certification, investments, and availability of the right raw materials. Stephan Keil, Director Industrialisation for AM Global, will moderate the discussion between panelists Markus Glasser, Senior Vice President EMEA, EOS; Vinu Vijayan, Global Business Development Manager – Aerospace, EOS; Frederic Becel, Design Manager, CVE, Innovation Leader Aircraft Modification Division, Air France; and Karl Bock, Principal Design Engineer, Aircraft Modification Team, P21J Design Organisation, Lufthansa Technik.

“A wide spreading of AM manufacturing also has the potential to significantly change the supply chain setup of the Aero industry, impacting small and large suppliers, as distributed manufacturing moves closer to becoming a reality. Furthermore, new business models for spare parts and part design data may emerge, along with new services, which brings a need to tackle challenges around IP and regulation.”

nScrypt’s Cutting Edge of Digital Manufacturing Webinar

nScrypt is also holding a webinar on the 30th, titled “Pushing the Envelope of Digital Manufacturing.” The first part of the Cutting Edge Digital Manufacturing webinar series will take place at 1 pm ET on the 30th, and the second part will occur at the same time on July 7th. Panelists Mark Mirotznik, PhD, University of Delaware; Jing Wang, PhD, University of South Florida and Oregon State University; Devin MacKenzie, PhD, University of Washington, and Raymond C. Rumpf, PhD, University of Texas at El Paso, will discuss the future of direct digital manufacturing, covering topics like metamaterial use, permeating electronics in structures for control, sensing, and smart features, and going from a CAD file to a final, multimaterial electronic product in one build.

“JOIN YET ANOTHER DISTINGUISHED PANEL for part ONE of an in-depth discussion on the future of direct digital manufacturing by some of the premiere additive manufacturing universities in the country. The projects these universities are working on are solving problems with traditional antennas and printed circuit boards (PCBs).

ACCIONA’s Concrete 3D Printing Webinar

The last June 30th webinar will be held by ACCIONA, called “Let’s Talk Concrete 3D Printing.” It will take a multidisciplinary approach when discussing the technology’s use in the value chain, “where Innovation, Academia, Design, Manufacturing and Industry join together for a broad analysis of the technology.

Speakers will be Alaa K. Ashmawy, PhD, P.E. Dean and Professor for the School of Engineering at the American University in Dubai; Sualp Ozel, Senior Product Manager at Autodesk; Fahmi Al Shawwa, the CEO of Immensa Additive Manufacturing; Carlos Egea, Manager 3D Printing, Skill Center at ACCIONA; and Luis Clemente, COO 3D Printing at ACCIONA. The webinar will take place at 8:30 am EST, and attendees can join here.

3D Systems Webinar Featuring VAULT

On Wednesday, July 1st, at 10:30 am EST, 3D Systems will be holding a live webinar, “Advanced Your Engineering and Equip Sales to Win Business with SLA,” featuring VAULT, which manufactures enclosures for tablets in the point-of-sale industry. The company integrated 3D Systems’ SLA technology into its process, and the 45-minute webinar will explain how SLA can be used at every stage of business. VAULT will share customer reactions to quality and service, in addition to the training and on-boarding process, and explain how companies can win new business by providing access to high-quality 3D printed parts.

“Gaining a new client is all about gaining their confidence. No matter how refined your sales pitch, nothing wins trust or business faster than immediately following through on your promises.

“Join our live web event featuring VAULT’s VP of Engineering, Quentin Forbes, to find out how in-house 3D printing with 3D Systems’ stereolithography is helping the company build its reputation and client base.”

Webinar for New Metal 3D Printing Material

Also on July 1st, metallurgist expert Aubert & Duval will join Alloyed, formerly known as OxMet Technologies, in hosting a free webinar about ABD-900AM, a new nickel superalloy for metal additive manufacturing. When tested with laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology, the high-strength material offered improved manufacturability, as well as high creep and oxidation resistance, compared to common AM alloys. It also features ~99.9% density and is highly crack resistant. Adeline Riou, Global Sales Manager at Aubert & Duval, and Will Dick-Cleland, Additive Manufacturing Engineer at Alloyed, will give an overview of the material’s properties, along with several interesting case studies, during the 30-minute webinar.

“Designed for use at high temperatures up to 900°C / 1650°F, ABD®-900AM has been tailored for AM by Alloyed not just for high mechanical properties, but also for excellent printability. Compared with Ni718, ABD®‑900AM provides a minimum of 30% improvement in yield stress at temperatures >800°C and a creep temperature capability improvement by up to 150 o C – similar to alloy 939 and alloy 738.”

The webinar will begin at 11 am EST, and you can register here.

Stratasys Aerospace Webinar Series Continued

Stratasys will continue its new aerospace webinar series this Thursday, July 2nd, with “Value Proposition of AM to Airlines.” During this hour-long webinar, Chuan Ching Tan, General Manager, Additive Flight Solutions (AFS), will speak about several related topics, including when and where additive manufacturing can make its business case to airlines, use cases – especially regarding aircraft interiors – by AFS to airlines, and other issues to get past in order to speed adoption of the technology.

You’ll have to wake up early if you’re in my time zone – the webinar will take place at 4 am EDT. Register here.

VO Webinar: Coming of Age for Additive Manufacturing

Recently, Viaccess-Orca (VO), a global provider of advanced data solutions and digital content protection, joined the collaborative 3MF Consortium as a Founding Member. Now, it’s presenting a free 45-minute webinar with HP and Autodesk, also active members of the 3MF Consortium, about “Additive Manufacturing’s coming of age: the essential role of data security and standards.” The webinar, also held on July 2nd, will focus on the importance of data security and standards as the closed AM ecosystem moves to a more open future. Dr. Phil Reeves, Managing Director of Reeves Insight Ltd, will facilitate the discussion between speakers Scott White, Distinguished Technologist, 3D Software and Data, HP, Inc.; Martin Weismann, Principal Software Engineer for Autodesk; and Alain Nochimowski, Executive Vice President of Innovation at VO.

Learning objectives of the webinar will include why data standards are so important for the growth and deployment of the technology in the Industry 4.0 supply chain, how 3D CAD and AM hardware vendors can embrace both interoperability and data standards to benefit customers, what the 3D printing industry can learn about analytics, traceability, and data security from more mature industries, and the consortium’s newly released Secure Content specification. At the end, there will be a Question and Answer session, facilitated by Laura Griffiths, Deputy Group Editor at TCT. The webinar will take place at 10 am EST; register here.

Will you attend any of these events and webinars, or have news to share about future ones? Let us know! Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Sustainable Cabin Built on 3D-Printed Concrete Stilts from Infested Ash Wood

Our house had several ash trees in the front and back yard while I was growing up, and we lost three of them due to various acts of nature. Ash is a very soft wood, which is how we lost one to high winds, and another split at the top because it wasn’t well-supported at the bottom. The third was removed because it had been infected by the invasive Emerald Ash Borer beetle, a nasty little bugger that’s not even native to the US but is here wreaking havoc anyway.

Obviously, ash trees that have been infected and destroyed by the EAB aren’t often used for construction purposes, both because sawmills can’t process the wood, and due to their odd, irregular shapes. These trees are then usually burned or left to decompose, neither of which is a great option.

“Unfortunately, both scenarios release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and so the advantage to using compromised ash for construction is that is that it both binds the carbon to the earth and offsets the harvesting of more commonly used wood species,” said Sasa Zivkovic, the Co-Principal of New York-based architecture studio HANNAH.

The Ithaca studio—founded in 2014 by Zivkovic, along with fellow co-principal Leslie Lok, Alexander Chmarin, and Alexander Graf—worked with a group of Cornell University students to create the tiny but striking Ashen Cabin, located off the grid in upstate New York. The collaborative project was meant to be a small-scale study regarding sustainable construction, and combined EAB-infested ash wood with 3D printing to build the cabin.

“By implementing high precision 3D scanning and robotic based fabrication technology, HANNAH transforms Emerald-Ash-Borer-infested “waste wood” into an abundantly available, affordable, and sustainable building material. From the ground up, digital design and fabrication technologies are intrinsic to the making of this architectural prototype, facilitating fundamentally new material methods, tectonic articulations, and forms of construction,” the studio’s website states.

As architects are looking to construct houses more sustainably, these kinds of small, off-grid residences are becoming more popular housing options, and Ashen Cabin definitely fits the bill. The tiny residence, featuring walls made of infested ash wood, is elevated by 3D-printed concrete stilts, which form the angular base of the cabin and its heavy, hulking extrusions.

HANNAH stated, “The project aims to reveal 3D printing’s idiosyncratic tectonic language by exploring how the layering of concrete, the relentless 3D deposition of extruded lines of material, and the act of corbelling can suggest new strategies for building.”

All of the cabin’s 3D-printed concrete shapes, including the tall, curved chimney and fireplace, furniture, textured floor, and prismatic legs, have a distinct linear pattern that features jagged edges. By using 3D printing, HANNAH was able to lower its carbon footprint and reduce waste by using less material than would normally be required, as a concrete mold was unnecessary.

Lok explained, “By using 3D printing, we eliminate the use of wasteful formwork and can deposit concrete smartly and only where structurally necessary, reducing its use considerably while also maintaining a building’s integrity.”

Concrete was also used to 3D print a unique seating platform, which can be opened up to use for storage. A bench made of marine-grade plywood, painted black to offer a pleasing contrast to the light siding, extends out from the seat in order to form a single bed.

A robotic arm with a band saw attachment cut the irregular ash logs into curving boards of different thicknesses. Both the exterior and interior of Ashen Cabin are covered with the wavy timber panels, which also define the structure’s four, black plywood-framed windows and were used to create other architectural features, like surfaces and shelving, inside.

The studio explained, “The curvature of the wood is strategically deployed to highlight moments of architectural importance such as windows, entrances, roofs, canopies, or provide additional programmatic opportunities such as integrated shelving, desk space, or storage.”

Focusing on the aesthetics of the cabin, the wood boards will naturally turn grey over time, so that the siding will eventually match the color of the concrete. Its 3D-printed concrete floors feature interlocking designs, and the windows are all oriented so they face the surrounding wooded landscape. The scenery makes it look like any residents of Ashen Cabin will be in their own little world.

Speaking of off-grid living, Ashen Cabin does not have power or running water. The temperature is regulated through its wood-burning fireplace and foam insulation, while a small camping sink, also 3D-printed out of concrete, provides the water.

Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below.

(All photos taken by Andy Chen, HANNAH)

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3D Printing in Construction: Fast-setting Aerogel and Phosphate-based Binders Offer Low Conductivity

In this study, researcher Mohammad Hajmohammadian Baghban explores the ever-expanding field of printing with cement and composites. Outlining his findings in the recently published ‘Thermal insulating cementitious composite containing aerogel and phosphate-based binder,’ Baghban emphasizes the critical nature of conductivity in materials for the ‘energy design process’ of construction. And while it is not surprising to hear that cement is one of the most used materials for builders, many may not be aware of the importance of thermal properties.

3D printing of cement and other building materials continues to become more popular in construction projects around the world too, from innovation like foamed concrete panels to modular systems with lightweight concrete spatial structures to other composites, and so much more. In this study, the author focuses on aerogel granules added to cement, creating a composite that is not only fast setting but improves material properties and offers suitable, low thermal conductivity.

Aerogel granules possess a hydrophobed pore system, comprised of pores as tiny as 20 to 60 nanometers. And although this material is extremely lightweight, the particles offer great insulation; the key in this study, however, was to continue to decrease thermal conductivity to encourage better performance of materials in construction applications.

“Although the considered cement composition reacts rapidly in presence of water, materials were mixed for about 20 minutes using [a] Hobart mixer to ensure proper dispersion. The amount of water was adjusted to the limit that the slurry will not be dry and the mix becomes a firm paste,” explains the author.

Compositions of the mixes

Samples were created and cast in 4x4x16 cm molds:

“… cured at a room with 50 % RH for four months when thermal conductivity of samples was measured at air dried condition. The samples were then dry sawed and dried at 105°C for seven days to measure the dry thermal conductivity, and the last measurement was held after water submersion for three days. Moreover, compressive strength of the cubic samples with size of about 4x4x4 cm was measured after 140 days curing at the room with 50 % RH,” explained the author.

Experimental results

With more water, and the continued addition of aerogel granules, conductivity can be reduced even further. In that case though, insulating properties may be questionably lowered, requiring the use of hydrophobic agents.

“This type of composite can also be used for on-site 3D printing of building envelope such as sandwich wall elements due to the fast setting property,” states the author.

Because of the fast-setting abilities of aerogel composites, they are self-standing and can be employed in the construction of building envelope features such as sandwich walls. Adding calcined MgO offers intensified compressive strength, with the material composite for this study resulting in:

Lightweight properties
Versatility
Fast production
Fast installation
Low thermal conductivity
Environmentally friendly binder

“Since there has been considerable improvement in the technology of aerogel production in recent years, it is expected that the cost and environmental impacts of composites made of aerogel will be reduced significantly and there will be more opportunities to introduce such composites to the market,” concluded Baghban.

What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

Hashin-Shtrikman bounds for thermal conductivity of the composite containing aerogel and cementitious binder according to the properties of particles and the matrix in M2 mix.

[Source / Images: ‘Thermal insulating cementitious composite containing aerogel and phosphate-based binder’]

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Researchers Assess the Use of 3D Printing Geo-Polymer Concrete

In the recently published ‘Life Cycle Assessment of 3D Printing Geo-polymer Concrete: An Ex-ante Study,’ authors Yue Yao, Mingming Hu, Francesco Di Maio, and Stefano Cucurachi examine the development of geo-polymers in concrete, and delve further into the use of 3D printing within the construction industry.

With the environment in mind, the authors are assessing the efficacy of using 3D printing and geo-polymers to replace conventional manufacturing methods with conventional materials like Portland cement. Environmental performance was evaluated through an ex-ante life cycle assessment (LCA), with manufacturer data used to pinpoint items for improvement and ‘scaled-up scenarios’ created in partnership with the company as the researchers looked into areas for improvement.

Contribution analysis on climate change.

Waste reduction is high on the list of benefits in terms of 3D printing in construction and with cement, and while geo-polymer could have even higher environmental impacts than ordinary concrete, the study shows that with multiple improvements, it could reduce the carbon footprint. The researchers were able to achieve this by lowering the amount of silicate in geo-polymer ‘recipes.’

Previous studies show that 3D printed buildings are higher in efficiency, lower in emissions, produce less waste, and consume less energy. Ex-ante LCA helps the researchers here evaluate the merits of fabricating a GP concrete object through inkjet 3D printing.

“Aiming at combining environmental management and technology development, in close-collaboration with technology developers, the study shows that ex-ante LCA can not only estimate the potential environmental impacts, but, more importantly, provide directions for the future deployment of 3DPG technology from the current lab-scale experiment,” state the researchers.

There were still some facets of the suggested improvements, however, that would be difficult to integrate in the near future:

“The technology readiness level (TRL; Moorhouse, 2002) of the 3DGP concrete technology in this research is estimated to be 6, which is already on technology demonstration stage,” stated the researchers. “This would suggest using LCA even at an earlier stage of the TRL trajectory to guarantee a greater support of technological innovation, when the core components of a technology are more flexible to change.”

The technology being explored is emerging—just like the accompanying market—but the researchers state that it is also reasonably complex. The researchers worked with technology developers in relation to the following potential for the future:

Technological landscape
Market penetration
Commercial data
Overall feasibility

The researchers also created numerous scenarios, including those titled ‘what ifs.’

“To generate ‘what-if’ scenarios, hotspots analysis is performed and then four scenarios are developed based on improved hotspots, using the hotspots as building blocks. Thus, hotspots analysis be a structured method to develop scaled-up scenarios in ex-ante LCA studies. For the application of the framework of the ex-ante LCA methodology to other technological systems, additional scenario types and generating methods need to be considered as additional case studies and methodological contributions become available,” stated the researchers.

LCA helps researchers and analysts gain insight into environmental performance, as well as highlighting possible challenges, early on. The authors described this study as going from ‘cradle to gate’ as they analyzed the three stages of the 3DGP concrete system:

Raw materials
Transport
3DGP concrete manufacturing

The summary of research processes (Adapted from Villares et al., 2017)

The details of four scenarios used in this study.

Overall, the researchers were concerned with some ‘discrepancies’ regarding 3D printing, attributed to the variances between raw materials, combined with different hardware. Silicate, however, stood out as offering ‘considerable impacts’ on the manufacturing process, and better results.

“The current study setup excludes the use-phase and end-of-life phase for both technology systems. While the environmental impacts of 3DGP concrete and ordinary concrete in the use phase are similar, the collection, treatment, and potential recycling ratio of these two alternatives may be different after utilization,” concluded the researchers.

“3DGP concrete does not have an advantage over ordinary concrete from the perspective of the transportation of raw materials. For ordinary concrete, the supply of raw materials operates at full commercial scale, due to the mature nature of the market. The transportation distances of raw materials are not long for ordinary concrete. These aspects do leave still little room for improvements and rationalization in the use of resources.”

The flowchart of 3D printing geo-polymer (3DGP) concrete

3D printing in the construction industry and with concrete is becoming more common as industrialists realize the enormous advantages, experimenting with reinforcing spatial structures, examining parameters in 3D printed concrete, even 3D printing self-healing capsules for cement.

What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

[Source / Images: ‘Life Cycle Assessment of 3D Printing Geo-polymer Concrete: An Ex-ante Study’]

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University of Stuttgart Investigating Reinforcement of 3D Printed Concrete

The interest in 3D printed concrete continues to skyrocket – after all, who wouldn’t be interested in a solution that could allow for extremely rapid construction of structures like bridges and houses? Researchers are also looking into using 3D printed reinforced concrete, including a trio of thesis students from the University of Stuttgart‘s Institute for Computational Design. For their thesis preparation project, Hosna Shayani, Marie Razzhivina, and Jacob Zindroski published a paper titled “Fabrication strategies for precise application of reinforcement in 3D-printed concrete” that discussed their ReCrete project, which aims to use tailored reinforcement to “expand the design space of 3D printed concrete.”

“Concrete is at a technological crossroad,” the paper states. “The implementation of the material has not relatively changed in the last century in its use, with the exception of the last twenty years. Concrete 3D printing is the answer to the materials advancement for future applications. What we seek in this research is to expand the design space of 3D printed concrete (3DCP) through tailored reinforcement. This would begin to bridge the initial design process closer to its ultimate realization.”

The team’s work falls under digital and physical categories, such as the design process, fabrication of a robotic tool and simulation; they did not look deeply into design parametrization, new materials, or structural performance of prototypes.

They explained the relevance of their topic in terms of:

design advancement
using concrete to create complex designs
3D printing concrete
the potential of 3DCP

“Currently design has two greater purposes it must serve before it can be produced,” the researchers wrote. “With the current capabilities of the tools we as architects can use, we need to be aware of the potentials and understand the expectations of the production of large scale geometries, either through specific geometric creation or optimized designs.”

Topological optimized design. [Source: All3dp]

While we have the tools create a multitude of forms and geometries, the team noted that we have to consider fabrication “at a fundamental level” during development. Concrete has been around for a very long time, and gives designers more freedom than materials such as stone.

“Choosing to work with concrete for our research was partially based on its wide use and high consumption. What we seek is to further optimize the use of the material as it is related to the construction process. Some of the important characteristics of concrete that need to be considered is its intrinsic behavior,” the researchers explained.

Conceptual outlook of concrete 3D printed structure

Concrete is less expensive, and has good compressive strength, but it fails if any tensile force is exerted on it. So the team wanted to explore how to improve the material’s tensile properties, as well as “the optimization and improvement of complex geometric forms.”

“What 3DCP can give the designers is command over how the material is implemented. No longer will molds be the determining factor of complex geometric morphologies. We can now leverage a technology that can begin to assert itself as a more finite process,” the team stated.

“Not only that but if 3DCP becomes a finite process, then you remove the time it takes to complete a project. As a result what could typically take months in production can be completed in days depending on the complexity. The mold, scaffolding, and physical labor is removed. 3DCP is the emancipation that designers need for future construction methods.”

However, as we know, 3DCP is not without its problems – limited to its own buildability angles because of its properties, the material takes longer to set and hold shape, and angles lower than 60° require support material for direct printing.

How the research intends to situate itself.

At the moment, the materials used to reinforce concrete are inmixed or continuous steel rebar, but the researchers are interested in using segmented steel instead, and having it inserted during the 3D printing process itself, as opposed to a post-processing task.

“The method in which we see this being accomplished is through the use of a robotic tool alongside the printing process. Using a typical FDM method this research is attempting to create an all in one operation, of printing while reinforcing. The reinforcement will happen simultaneous to the printing. What we seek from this procedure is the inclusion of tensile elements in the printing process, for the simultaneous mechanism allows for continuous construction without slowing the printing time.”

ETH Zurich’s RockPrint

The researchers listed some examples of 3D printed reinforced concrete currently being worked on by the likes of companies like Apis Cor and Contour Crafting and research institutes such as ETH Zurich.

After looking at these examples, they concluded that their structure for reinforcement should be both segmented and tailored.

“Fragments of reinforcement would ideally be placed into freshly deposited layers of concrete sequentially, allowing the resulting tailored shape to grow at the same pace with the concrete 3D printed shape,” the team explained.

“Segmented reinforcements have a wide variety and considerable potential to be used in construction. Robotic insertion of segemented reinforcement matches perfectly with our fabrication method, because of its additive logic.”

The team used both structural and fabrication reinforcement in their research: the former will improve the structural strength of the concrete structure, while the latter will act partially as a formwork for support purposes and help achieve a greater overhang angle. A particle-based simulation tool was used to figure out how the concrete would behave.

In the paper, the researchers outlined their overall workflow process, which is broken down into three parts – design, particle and structural simulation, and fabrication. For material testing, they used a “ready-mix low pressure spray repair mortar with compression strength of 42.7 MPa and tensile strength of 3.3 MPa.” The first stage of testing required mixing the material with different water ratios to find the best consistency for extrusion; a 15.6 % ratio was determined to have the least amount of slumping. Then they tested the mixture during 3D printing, and looked into the best time to add the reinforcement:

“Regarding reinforcement insertion, we deduced that it should happen within the mixture’s set time of 60 minutes, which we confirmed with an experiment. If performed outside of set time, the insertion disturbed
the extrusion’s structure, resulting in cracking and breaking. “

Wait test between 3D printing layers. Left is 1 min wait between layers, right is 2 min wait time.

They also investigated how they could get a more extreme overhang by reinforcing extruded angles. Their fabrication system was a user input that works with an ABB robot, and they were also able to interface directly between both Grasshopper and Rhino and the fabrication process itself.

“What we see as a potential avenue for us to expand on is applying custom oriented reinforcement to the extrusion. The challenging part is at what length should the reinforcement be and how far can the insertion of the reinforcement go,” the researchers explained. “Another issue is also the degree of angle we can achieve from a fabrication process the insertion of the reinforcement. These constraints help inform what is plausible for a fabrication strategy.”

Opening and Branch. Tested for angles, FEA, and particle simulation

The team also outlined a design library for shapes that could be easily fabricated with their system, and used a high fidelity scanner to verify the accuracy of the 3D printed concrete models. Finally, they created the final demonstrator model: an architectural enclosure which was considered a non load-bearing structure. The researchers were able to finish their research at the Autodesk Buildspace in Boston.

“In production of this demonstrator there were great achievements and shortcomings during the process,” they stated.

“Some of the challenges were the printing system. There were times of over extrusion, because of unstable pressure during the deposition, which caused issues along the printing.

“What we were successful in was the creation of tailoring reinforcement in concrete 3D printing. It was exciting to begin to see the concept start to achieve angles greater than what can currently be produced with traditional concrete printing methods.”

Final demonstrator

They hope that by adding additional technologies, they can improve upon this research even further.

“There is rich territory for this method to contribute to the current state of concrete printing. And 3D printing in general,” the researchers concluded. “The technology is becoming less of a prototyping process and more of a self-sufficient realizing technique.”

Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.

[Images by University of Stuttgart research team, unless otherwise noted]

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Thixotropy, Nanoclay and the Optimal Parameters of 3D Printed Concrete

In ‘The Effect of Material Fresh Properties and Process Parameters on Buildability and Interlayer Adhesion of 3D Printed Concrete,’ international authors strive to understand more about materials and parameters in relation to concrete—specifically in terms of buildability and inter-layer adhesion properties.

3D printing with concrete is being used by companies and researchers around the globe today as they hope to harness all the classic benefits of 3D printing, from affordability to greater speed in production, and the ability to create more complex geometries—often meaning that products and prototypes not possible before can now be fabricated. And although there is a growing sense of acceptance of the technology, the researchers explain that there is still little data regarding materials and process parameters.

“A soft, flowable material is easy to extrude,” explained the researchers. “On the other hand, a stiff material can sustain the weight of more layers, although it needs more pressure for the extrusion. However, the stiffness of a cementitious material changes with time due to ongoing hydration. As a result, it may not be extrudable after its dormant period. In addition, this sometimes results in poor interface bond strength due to lack of moisture, mechanical contacts, and the presence of pores in the substrate.”

A lack of surface moisture can affect inter-layer strength, as well as process parameters. Inter-layer adhesion is a common challenge, and researchers have suggesting numerous fixes, from increasing mechanical contract between the layers or even spraying cement paste in the affected zone.

Demonstration of 3D printability of (a) control mix (CM); (b) 0.5% clay modified NM mixture.

For this project, the researchers added a ‘small amount of nanoclay’ to add both strength and thixotropy. The nanoclay showed anisotropic qualities, and showed the greatest compressive strength when tested in the direction of the layer deposition.

“Nanoclay carries a negative charge on its faces and a positive charge on its ends. During the material flow, it tends to separate from each other by the electrical repulsion between similar charges. On the other hand, at rest, it flocculates by oppositely charged ends, while increasing the yield stress and viscosity,” stated the researchers, pointing out that nanoclay is not helpful in increasing the stiffening rate.

Schematic of rheology modification for 3D concrete printing

The researchers noticed macro pores, theorizing that they were weakening the 3D printed, increasing with materials higher in thixotropy.

“Reducing the standoff distance below the nozzle opening size (width) had a positive impact on improving the bond strength of the NM mix, which can be explained by the decreased porosity in the interface zone,” concluded the researchers. “The impact of the nozzle standoff distance was found to be more pronounced for the material with a higher yield stress value.

“In future work, other parameters such as structuration rate, roughness, environmental conditions, and the effect of chemical additives will be studied to gain new insights into interlayer bond strength in the concrete printing process.”

3D printing with concrete continues to rise in popularity, as users—many in the construction world—innovate with projects such as 3D printed bridges, lightweight structures, and hardware for disaster relief. What do you think of this news? Let us know your thoughts! Join the discussion of this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com.

(a) static yield stress; (b) tensile bond strengths of CM and NM mixtures.

[Source / Images: ‘The Effect of Material Fresh Properties and Process Parameters on Buildability and Interlayer Adhesion of 3D Printed Concrete’]

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3D Printing News Briefs: April 10, 2019

We’ve got some business news for you in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, before moving on to an upcoming industry event and new materials. 3DVinci Creations and the American University in Dubai will establish a facility for concrete 3D printing, while Telset signed a contract with Relativity. Lincoln Electric has acquired Baker Industries for its 3D printing technology, and Jabil is sharing the results of its survey report on 3D printing. Next month is the NAMIC Summit, with its flagship DfAM event, and Nile Polymers has announced two new PVDF filaments.

Agreement Signed to Establish Center for 3D Concrete Printing

A cooperation agreement was signed between 3DVinci Creations, the American University in Dubai (AUD), Arabtec Construction Company, and global engineering consultancy firm Robert Bird Group to establish The Center for 3D Concrete Printing and Digital Construction on AUD’s campus. The scientific research center, equipped with a 3DVinci Creations 3D printer, will serve researchers from the university’s three project partners, as well as university students and members of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture. It will build partnerships, create a consortium of academic, government, and industry entities interested in the growing 3D concrete printing and digital construction fields, work with state officials to promote 3D printing culture in construction, and eventually develop and administer training workshops and seminars on concrete 3D printing.

“With this cooperation agreement, we aim to perform strategic analyses of the present and future capabilities of 3D Concrete Printing and of digitally-driven construction systems. The Center will work with local regulatory bodies to develop newly updated building codes that pertain to 3D printed buildings and structures,” said Edouard Baaklini, CEO of 3DVinci Creations. “We will also develop cost models of 3D Printed Concrete buildings and structures together with tools for value analysis vis-à-vis traditional construction methodologies.”

Relativity Signs Contract with Telesat

Los Angeles 3D printed rocket manufacturer Relativity just signed its first public, multi-year commercial contract with satellite services vendor Telesat. This is a big deal, as it’s the first agreement between a major satellite operator and a venture-backed “New Space” industry company. It costs about $10 million for Relativity to launch a 1,250 kg payload to low Earth orbit – a price that’s $10 to $20 million less than it would be using a European Ariane rocket or Indian PSLV rocket. The company can keep its costs down by using automation and metal 3D printing in its design and manufacturing processes, and claims its rockets can be made in just 60 days, with far less components. Relativity has completed 136 engine tests and is currently testing its avionics systems, with the first launch of its 3D printed Terran 1 rocket scheduled for the end of 2020.

“Early in our LEO program we decided that, in addition to working with outstanding leaders in satellite manufacturing and launch services who we know well, Telesat should also include New Space companies whose technologies and manufacturing methods offer lower costs and greater flexibility for deploying our constellation. Relativity is just such a company with their metal 3D printing, use of robotics and other advances,” said Dave Wendling, Telesat’s CTO. “Telesat continues to establish a world-class supplier team to construct, deploy and operate our global LEO network and we are very pleased to welcome Relativity to the Telesat LEO program.”

Lincoln Electric Acquires Baker Industries

According to a report published last year by SmarTech Industries, the global additive manufacturing market grew 18% to reach $9.3 billion in size, and Lincoln Electric (LECO) wanted a piece of that pie. The company announced that it has acquired Detroit-based Baker Industries, which developed 3D printing tech for the aerospace and automotive industries, for an undisclosed sum as part of a previously announced initiative to expand into the AM industry.

Baker was founded in 1992 to manufacture custom fixtures, parts, and tooling that are Nadcap-accredited, AS9100D-certified, and adhere to the tough aerospace quality management standards. While you can learn more about its services in the video below, Baker primarily offers CNC machining, design, fabrication, prototyping, quality assurance, tooling, and 3D printing services to its customers. With its acquisition of Baker, Lincoln will be able to position itself in the ever growing AM, automation, and tooling sector.

Jabil Shares Results of Survey Report

According to the 2019 Additive Materials and 3D Printing study by Jabil, the practical applications in 3D printing have grown significantly over the last two years. The company surveyed over 300 professionals who are responsible for 3D printing at manufacturing companies, and found that the technology has found its way into almost every step of production, though prototyping still remains the most popular application.

Jabil shared how several key industries, such as medical, transportation, and aerospace, are using the technology today, and reported that 25% of respondents said that 3D printing can be as much as 20 times faster than traditional forms of manufacturing – obviously a major benefit. Jabil itself has adopted the technology at some of its sites because it takes 3D printing very seriously, and believes that the technology “has unlimited potential in the future.” Nearly all of the survey’s respondents said they expected their companies’ 3D printing use to increase over the next two to five years. You can read the full survey report here.

DfAM Conference at NAMIC Summit Coming Up

Next month in Singapore, the 2019 NAMIC Summit will take place from May 6-10, with its flagship event – the Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) Conference & AM Industry Showcase – happening on May 7th at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre. You can register now for the event to take advantage of early bird rates.

You can spend the day meeting other like-minded professionals in networking sessions, or take in a presentation by one of over ten distinguished speakers who will be sharing their knowledge about simulation and modeling, industrial applications of digital design solutions, and generative design For example, John Barnes, the founder and managing director of The Barnes Group Advisors, will be speaking about “Design for Manufacturing: The Transformative Role of Design in Driving Innovation in the Future of Manufacturing” at 9:30 am, and the CEO and co-founder of Assembrix Ltd, Lior Polak, will present “Distributed Manufacturing in Action: Dynamic Machine Allocation and Real-Time Monitoring at 1:30 pm.

Nile Polymers Introduces New Additions to Fluorinar PVDF Family

Utah-based Nile Polymers, which offers an industrial-grade PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) filament based on Arkema’s Kynar PVDF material, just announced the addition of two new filaments to its Fluorinar PVDF family – Fluorinar-B and Fluorinar-ESD, also built on Arkema’s Kynar. Chemical-resistant Fluorinar filaments differ from other PVDF materials because they don’t have any additional diluents or polymer additives, and they are tough, flexible, high-strength, and offer flame suppression and UV protection qualities. Sample filaments are available for both

Black-colored Fluorinar-B combines the company’s Fluorosmooth adhesive, which increases the surface energy of a print at its interface with a glass build plate, with the dependability of Kynar PVDF, and carbon pigment increases the part’s tensile strength and permeation resistance as well. Graphene-enhanced electrostatic dissipation (ESD) filament Fluorinar-ESD is perfect for applications that have parts which can’t tolerate static build-up, and calibrates impact strength and melt viscosity carefully so the final part is durable and strong.

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Live Demonstration of ACES Concrete 3D Printing Technology at CERL to 3D Print Barracks: Part 3

As part of a three-year program called Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures (ACES), last year the US Army 3D printed a complete barracks, also known as a B-Hut, out of a patented concrete mixture. The program is researching 3D printing as a way to build semi-permanent structures out of concrete, made from locally available materials – the goal is to reduce the amount of building materials that need to be shipped out by half, and decrease construction manpower requirements by 62%, when compared to expedient plywood construction.

Last week I was invited out to the Engineer Research and Development Center’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) in Champaign, Illinois for a live demonstration of the ACES technology…an invitation I was happy to accept. Last year’s B-hut took 21.5 hours to print, but that’s the total number of print hours, and wasn’t continuous. This time, the ACES team, with assistance from its project partner – Chicago-based architectural and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM) – and Marines from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, was going to attempt something new.

The ambitious plan was to complete the two halves of another barracks structure, completely out in the open and not covered by a tent, in 24 hours of continuous 3D printing. What moves the demonstration from ambitious to brave was the team’s decision to invite journalists to see the live print, and I’m not just talking about myself – I saw cameramen and reporters onsite from at least two different local TV stations.

The Marines were briefed on the specifics of the technology ahead of time, and ran the equipment themselves this week, as they will be the ones actually 3D printing the structures in the future if the program is successful. However, the ACES team and SOM were onsite in case they needed to offer any assistance, and that assistance was needed a time or two during the live demonstration.

Program manager Michael Case, PhD, told me that an issue with concrete is evaporation drying, so when the forecast showed rain, the start time was moved up a few hours, only to halt again pretty quickly once the team realized that they needed a new pump – the interior of the original one had been torn up by the sharper materials used during a live demonstration at Fort Leonard Wood a few months ago. Then the kinks needed to be worked out of the hose, and when the material didn’t extrude properly after the print began, the team removed the nozzle and discovered that a rock was inside messing up the flow.

The material mixture had to be adjusted after the first layer because it was too sloppy, at one point the nozzle was accidentally sent over to the side that wasn’t being worked on yet, and when steel dowels were added for initial reinforcement to the first several layers of 3D printed concrete, work began on the wrong side. But in spite of these minor setbacks, work continued through the night and Public Affairs Specialist Mike Jazdyk told me that there were very few clogs.

[Image: Mike Jazdyk]

On the morning of the second day of printing, Jazdyk told me that the ACES team would not make its original goal of a continuous, 24 hour 3D printed concrete barracks. A lot of this was due to concrete curing inside of the pump, which caused the equipment to shut down and cause some overnight delays. By the time I had to head for home, the team had nearly completed the first half of the structure and was planning to take several hours of much-needed rest before starting in on the second half. Jazdyk informed me that work would begin again around midnight.

I received a call from Jazdyk on Friday afternoon, and he told me that the ACES team had to stop the print due to equipment failure, but that they had managed to complete roughly 80% of the structure before this happened – this is easy to see in the image below.

[Image: Mike Jazdyk]

“What you see is 40 hours of printing,” Jazdyk told me about these four photos he sent, noting that this number does not denote a continuous job, but rather is the total number of print hours.

Jazdyk explained that had the equipment not failed, the ACES team at CERL would have finished the structure in less than 48 hours, which is still an extremely impressive feat. As previously mentioned, the fact that the team was willing to have the press onsite for the live demonstration, without knowing for certain if they would make their goal, was valiant.

So often with 3D printed construction projects, we are assaulted with people and companies saying, “Look, I’m the first!” or “I did it the fastest!” or “I built the biggest thing in the world!” At CERL this week, everyone I spoke to was very candid with the issues the project was running into, and no one tried to pull the wool over my eyes or move me away if something went awry. People answered every question I asked openly and honestly, even if it was a question relating to something that was currently going wrong – this is admirable.

“No one shows you under the skirts of large-scale concrete 3D printing – all you see are the videos that are posted online of just what people want you to see, and nothing else,” project manager Megan Kreiger told me. “You don’t see all the problems that you have to overcome. They make it look like they’re doing it super fast, super easy, and that they’re doing it under 24 hours, but none of it’s true.”

Team members also shared their hopes for the program with me, like ultimately lowering the cost of materials and the amount of manpower needed, and the potential applications the ACES technology could eventually be used for other than 3D printing buildings, such as culverts, barriers, and bridges, and more humanitarian efforts, like schools.

“There’s a tremendous number of uses,” Dr. Case told me.

Jazdyk told me today that they will attempt to complete the 3D printed concrete structure next week at CERL. I am confident that they will succeed, but, knocking on wood and knowing that sometimes things just go wrong, I am also confident that should more problems arise, the ACES team will handle them with grace, learn from them, and keep on trucking.

Stay tuned to 3DPrint.com for more news about my recent visit to CERL, including plenty of information that I did not previously know about concrete and the importance of the shape of these 3D printed walls.

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[Images: Sarah Saunders for 3DPrint.com, unless otherwise noted]

Live Demonstration of ACES Concrete 3D Printing Technology at CERL to 3D Print Barracks: Part 2

One half of the 3D Printed Strcture.

I was recently invited to the US Army’s Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) in Illinois to see a live demonstration of its Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures (ACES) technology. Last year, the US Army used ACES to 3D print a complete barracks, or B-Hut, in 21.5 hours with the Army’s patented concrete mixture.

Having only seen still images and video of this unique technology, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see a 512 square foot barracks 3D printed live in front of my very eyes within 24 hours. So yesterday afternoon, I hopped in my car for the roughly four-hour drive out west to Champaign.

A closer look at a completed section.

The goal for this ACES demonstration is to successfully 3D print the exterior concrete walls of a 8 foot building in 24 hours. While the ACES team and its project partner, Chicago-based architectural and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (SOM), are both onsite, Marines from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force are running the equipment; obviously, if the project is successful and this technology is able to be deployed overseas to our troops in the future, they will be the ones actually 3D printing the structures.

Benton Johnson, PE, SE, the Associate Director at SOM, told me yesterday that the Marines were briefed on the ACES technology and equipment via conference call and email. From the looks of things, they seemed to have gotten the hang of everything – preparing and mixing the materials, running the computer, cleaning up the printed layers by hand and clearing away material from the bolts, etc. Johnson pointed out that the main coder of the project was onsite, but only to offer assistance if needed.

A close up of the nozzle 3D printing the barracks. Image Sarah Saunders.

“I think part of this is a learning curve, because all the Marines that were out there operating the machinery had never seen this or touched it before,” Captain Matt Friedell told me.

“But they took to it, and once they learned it, they started to get in their groove and really pick up the pace. And we knew when we were going to attempt this that it was going to be a challenge.”

Obviously, there were a few glitches, as people rarely get the hang of new technology perfectly the first time out. The barracks is being 3D printed in two halves, and at one point the Marine running the computer accidentally sent the nozzle over to the side that wasn’t being worked on yet; later, when steel dowels were being added for initial reinforcement to the first 18″ or so of 3D printed concrete, work began on the wrong side. But none of this seemed to slow the process down.

However, as I mentioned yesterday, things did not start off swimmingly. Program manager Michael Case, PhD, told me that one of the issues with concrete is evaporation drying. So when the forecast showed rain today, the start time of the demonstration was moved up a few hours, only to halt again pretty quickly. Dr. Case explained that the material used at the Fort Leonard Wood demonstration a few months ago was sharper and more angular than it is here at CERL, and tore up the inside of the pump.

By the time the team finished replacing the pump and working the kinks out of the hose, it was almost the original start time of 5 pm. it looked like things were going to start moving, until the material didn’t extrude properly and some team members removed the nozzle to find that a rock inside was jamming things up. When the concrete finally started to print, the material mixture had to be adjusted after the first layer because it was too sloppy. But once this was fixed, things really took off, and work continued through the night, with very few clogs.

Spoiler alert: when I arrived back at CERL this morning, I learned that the team would not be able to make its original deadline of 24 hours. Dr. Case explained that “a big part of this is to figure out how long you can continuously use the equipment.”

“So we learned a lot about things…If you operate this type of concrete printing equipment long enough, you have to stop and service some of the equipment.”

Dr. Case said that if you don’t clean out the equipment, you can get concrete curing inside of the pump, and that it will eventually shut down, which caused some delays overnight. So by about 9 am this morning, the team had nearly completed the first half of the structure, and was planning on taking a few hours of much-needed rest before starting in on the second half.

While the ACES team won’t make the original goal of a continuous 24 hour print, the work they’ve completed and will continue throughout the rest of the day, is extremely impressive. Capt. Friedell told me as I was leaving CERL that he was certain this project is the tallest continuous 3D print in the US.

Stay tuned to 3DPrint.com for a more in-depth look at my visit to CERL this week! So far it has been very exciting to be able to have unfettered access to the site and to have been given access to all of the people involved. Issues with extrusion, rain and the weather that this team had actually made me question more the validity of some “3D printing a house in a day” claims. What this team ancountered were real-life challenges brought on by equipment and the weather that slowed them down. I think that CERL’s effort, undertaken with a journalist present, was much more transparent, open and honest than the commercial house printing initiatives who somehow always tell us after the fact the great feats that they’ve accomplished. I can now really see the value that house 3D printing could have for the Marine Corps, Army and for civilian use. Most of all I’m grateful that I got an up close and personal look at what it actually takes to 3D print a structure.

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[Images: Sarah Saunders for 3DPrint.com]