Fancy living in a 3D-printed apartment block?

Chinese firm unveils building as 3D printing gathers buzz in the country
The Straits Times, 3 Feb 2015

SHANGHAI - A Chinese engineering and design firm has unveiled what it is calling "the world's tallest 3D-printed building".

The five-storey residential apartment block made from recycled construction materials is currently on display at the Suzhou Industrial Park, alongside a 1,100 sq m 3D-printed mansion which costs an estimated US$160,000 (S$217,000).

The Shanghai-based company, WinSun Decoration Design Engineering, constructed the apartment block by using a giant printer measuring 6.6m tall and 10m wide.

Instead of ink, the printer squirts out a paste made from recycled waste material, glass fibre, steel, cement and hardening agents.

The printer works by printing layer by layer. Large sections of a building are printed out and then assembled together, much like prefabricated concrete.

WinSun chief executive Ma Yihe told the Associated Press that the printing process for the mansion took just one day per storey.

According to the company's website, its 3D-printed walls are about 50 per cent lighter than concrete walls, but have "much higher strength and toughness".

It also claims that the walls will not crack and that they have strong water-proofing as well as improved air permeability and heat retention compared with walls made from normal construction materials.

According to the chief engineer of China Construction Engineering Bureau, Mr Ma Rongquan, who inspected the buildings, both structures are in compliance with national standards, though he was quick to note that there were really no standards written yet for 3D-printed architecture.

WinSun gained international attention in April last year when it constructed 10 single-storey homes from 3D-printed materials in less than 24 hours, with each building costing less than US$5,000.

The company said that the mansion is the prototype for a set of 10 ordered by a Taiwanese real estate group, while the Egyptian government has ordered 20,000 3D-printed houses.

3D printing is increasingly gathering buzz among Chinese manufacturers.

Last October, the southern Chinese city of Changsha launched an industrial park, aimed at being China's first hub for 3D printing technology.

Following Changsha's lead, the cities of Wuhan and Zhuhai have announced similar 3D industrial hubs, with the support of local governments and universities.

Mr Luo Jun, executive president of the China 3D Printing Technology Industry Alliance, told China Daily that 3D printing technology has been growing rapidly in China, with more than 40 per cent growth for the last two years.

But he added that compared with the United States, Europe and Japan, China was still at an infant stage.

"We have much space to grow in many key technology areas, such as laser and materials. But we are getting closer and closer."

3D-printed green car to blaze a trail
By Audrey Tan, The Straits Times, 3 Feb 2015

THE future of green car technology could lie in 3D printing.

Two eco-friendly cars, one of which is the first in Singapore to be made using 3D-printed parts, were unveiled yesterday by Nanyang Technological University.

The 3D-printed prototype, called the NTU Venture 8, has a cabin made of printed components glued together using epoxy adhesive. A total of 150 panels were used in its construction - the largest assembly of 3D-printed parts to be put together here.

Each of the 3D-printed components is made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, a lightweight plastic. Coupled with the aerodynamic design of the vehicle, it reduces drag, which makes the 120kg car more energy-efficient.

While the plastic shell is only 1mm thick, it is strong enough to handle the weight of the vehicle and the driver, because of the honeycomb structure used by the student designers from NTU's College of Engineering.

The structure's properties provide the strength and stiffness required, said student Ng Jun Wen, 24, part of a team of 16 that built the cars.

Said Associate Professor Ng Heong Wah, who mentored the students: "We are extremely proud to have designed and assembled a 3D-printed body shell for the electric car, which is Singapore's first and probably Asia's first. The 3D-printed car body was pushing existing technology to the limits."

Currently, 3D-printing technology is used for smaller items such as architectural models.

The second car is a three-wheeled vehicle that, with a sleek shape resembling a bullet, has a unique tilting ability.

Team member Winston Tan, 27, said: "We took our inspiration for the tilting mechanism from motorcycle racing, where racers lean left or right during sharp turns to maintain their handling and speed."

Both cars are powered partially by solar cells mounted atop their frames, and will race at month's end in the Shell Eco-marathon Asia in Manila, an annual competition that challenges student teams from around the world to design, build and test energy-efficient vehicles. Another Singapore team, from ITE College West, will also be taking part.