US unveils world’s largest 3D printer capable of creating entire sustainable neighborhoods, officials confirm
The unveiling of the world’s largest 3D printer in the US is set to revolutionize the creation of affordable housing to address homelessness, according to officials.
The printer, known as the Factory Of The Future 1.0, was constructed at the University of Maine campus and incorporates artificial intelligence, robotics operations, and high-performance computing.
Government officials praised the printer for exceeding expectations and hailed it as a symbol of innovation. US Senator for Maine, Susan Collins, called it a “great day for our university, our state, and our nation.”
The campus also houses the 2019 Guinness World Record holder for the largest polymer 3D printer, which is capable of creating homes. However, the new machine is four times bigger.
The university aims to demonstrate the construction of homes almost entirely through 3D printing with a reduced carbon footprint.
This technology will enable the scaling of 3D-printed home production using bio-based materials to eventually print neighborhoods of affordable housing to combat homelessness in the area.
If buildings become unsuitable, they can be recycled, officials added.
Habib Dagher, director of the university’s advanced structures and composite center, explained: “You can basically deconstruct it, you can grind it up if you wish, the 3D printed parts, and reprint with them, do it again.”
The buildings and construction sector is responsible for approximately 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to the production and utilization of materials like cement, steel, and aluminum, which have a substantial carbon footprint, as per the United Nations Environment Programme.
A home in Maine produced by the world’s previous largest 3D printer. Pic: AP
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The printer has the capacity to create objects as large as 96 feet long, 32 feet wide, and 18 feet high.
Dr Dagher highlighted the shortage of both affordable housing and construction workers to meet the demand – Maine is projected to require an additional 80,000 homes in the next six years.
The new machine offers opportunities for multiple industries. Pic: AP
The printer’s production speed of 500lbs (227 kilograms) of material per hour will enable the rapid construction of new homes.
The university emphasized that the printer provides “new opportunities for eco-friendly and cost-effective” manufacturing across various industries.
These industries include national security, affordable housing, bridge construction, ocean and wind energy technologies, and maritime vessel fabrication, among others, it added.
