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NEW TECHNOLOGY M ARCH 2020
THE THIRD DIMENSION
CMME VISITS ACCIONA’S 3D PRINTING FACILITY IN DUBAI TO SEE THE WORLD’S LARGEST 3D PRINTER AND LEARN HOW THE SPANISH COMPANY IS DEVELOPING THIS NEW CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY
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t’s a sneak peek into the future of construction. And into the machinery that will be involved to build the next generation of buildings and structures. At a nondescript warehouse in Dubai’s Al Awir area, unremarkable and indistinguishable in almost every way to the numerous other such warehouses that dot the area, a small sign hangs on the gate that announces the name of the company that is doing something pathbreaking inside: Acciona. From the cavernous depths of the warehouse, the sustainable infrastructure solutions company operates what it says is the world’s largest operational 3D printer using Powder Bed technology. Taking CMME on a tour of the facility and the equipment, Luis Clemente, COO of Acciona 3D Printing, points to a huge cube-like machine in the centre of the warehouse, and says: “What you see here is a machine that allows greater efficiency and automation of the construction processes. This 6m by 3m by 2m machine is the largest of its kind in the world.” He explains that the unit meets growing demand for 3D printed infrastructure and the technology is particularly suitable for generating highly resistant structural parts. With concrete as base material for the structures produced by the printer, it is an ideal solution for architectural, urban and building applications.
But what was the thought behind developing the machine and the facility, and basing it in Dubai? Clemente takes us back to the development of Acciona’s 3D printer and printing technology for the answer. “This is a new technology for 3D printing from the innovation department in Acciona’s corporate division. We have been working on perfecting this technology for 6-7 years now, starting from the time we identified 3D technology as the new phenomenon that had the power to transform the market.” Acciona started with small scale 3D printers, working with them to understand the process and the technology. In course of time, Clemente says, the company understood the potential of going beyond this small scale to more large-scale concrete 3D printing. “So, we went ahead with developing this technology in terms of the machine on one side and new materials for the 3D printing process on the other. And we looked at both from the architectural design point of view. You have to think a little differently for these kinds of applications compared to traditional building methods, and so we worked on these aspects together to reach a point where we could deliver to a certain level using this new technology.” A breakthrough arrived for the Spanish multinational giant three years ago, when it executed a significant project - delivering the first 3D printed bridge in the world made with concrete in Madrid. The 12m long structure proved the viability of the
