China-based company Winsun demonstrated the impressive capabilities of its giant 3D printer by using it to construct ten 3D-printed houses in less than 24 hours. The homes are largely constructed out of recycled materials and are cheap enough -- less than $5,000 each -- to be constructed in large quantities to ease housing crises in developing countries.
Each small house takes very little labor to assemble, and costs as little as $4,800. Winsun hopes to make them available for low income housing projects.
The 3D printer doesn't print the homes in one go, instead creating building blocks by layering a cement-and-glass mix in structural patterns. This allows for a diagonally reinforced print pattern that leaves gaps of air to provide insulation. The blocks are then printed in a central factory and assembled on site.
This efficient, low-cost construction process requires minimal manual labor, opening up possibilities for rapidly 3D-printed houses to be put together to ease housing crises.
3D-Printed Houses
This 3D Printer Can Build Ten Houses in a Day Using Recycled Materials
Trend Themes
1. Rapid 3D Printing - The ability to 3D print houses in less than 24 hours creates disruptive innovation opportunities for the construction industry.
2. Recycled Materials - The use of recycled materials in 3D-printed houses presents disruptive innovation opportunities for sustainable and eco-friendly building practices.
3. Affordable Housing - The low cost of 3D-printed houses opens up disruptive innovation opportunities for providing affordable housing solutions in developing countries.
Industry Implications
1. Construction - The construction industry can explore disruptive innovation opportunities by integrating rapid 3D printing technology into their processes.
2. Sustainable Building - The use of recycled materials in 3D-printed houses creates disruptive innovation opportunities for the sustainable building industry.
3. Real Estate - The development of affordable 3D-printed houses presents disruptive innovation opportunities for the real estate industry, especially in addressing housing crises.