Posted on 06/14/2015 9:06:07 AM PDT by BenLurkin
In two years, a one-of-a-kind construction project will commence over a canal in Amsterdam. It wont involve any humans at all, but rather, a six-axis robot that can craft molten metal in mid-air. Two months later, a 24 foot-long steel pedestrian bridge will arc its way across the water.
That, at least, is the plan. Leading the ambitious project is Dutch designer Joris Laarman, whose R&D company MX3D has spent the last several years reimagining what 3D printing can be—by scrapping the printer bed bit entirely. Instead, multi-axis MX3D bots can doodle drops of metal or plastic in horizontal, vertical and diagonal planes.
Creating rail supports as it goes, the metal-printing bot will gradually slide forward, literally building a bridge as it crosses the canal. It’s a very cool idea, but the project is symbolic of something much larger: if successful, it could signal the beginning of a new wave of on-site, 3D printed infrastructure projects.
(Excerpt) Read more at rgscomputing.com ...
Interesting but I don’t think it will work.
Steel requires specific atomic structure of Iron, Carbon and other elements.
It also usually requires forging to place the stress patterns into the metal structure.
Kind of the difference between using stamped metal fork and a forged metal fork.
You can FEEL the difference in strength.
If it works just think how much of an uproar there would be from the Davis-Bacon supporters here!
It might work for a pedestrian bridge. Not a lot of weight on such a structure.
OK, so the foundation on one end is going to have to be strong enough to cantilever the bridge plus printer across the whole canal till it gets to the other end, or at least halfway, if they’re planning to build halfway across then build back to meet from the other side. That seems hugely wasteful. Second, what if you need cables? Cables do a great job for tension, and provide a little resiliency. even if a few strands break, the cable is still plenty strong to do what it needs to do. You obviously can’t print a good, resilient cable.
I’m tentatively calling BS.
It will be, in effect, all weld bead.
Not as strong as forged steel, for all the reasons you mentioned, but strong enough.
A bridge made of this would be lighter and stronger than a bridge made out of current steel materials.
Seems hugely wasteful compared to using hot rolled steel that has been made in an efficient mill. It’s hard to control the quality and properties of atomized metal (weld) under field conditions.
Most structural steel gets rolled. Some gets quenched. Where do you get forged (heating combined with hammering)?
Its simple, just use Reardon steel.
Bttt
My thoughts exactly. This project is doomed. And if it is completed, the pedestrians are doomed.
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