More US Companies Now Offering 3D Printed Homes
April 28, 2021
This photo provided by Mighty Buildings shows a 3D-printed house module being delivered in Livermore, Calif. Most modules are put together in a factory and then transported by truck to the owner’s property. (Courtesy of Mighty Buildings via AP)
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three-dimensional, or 3D printing technology.
The companies say 3D printers can build homes faster, for a lot less money, and in a much more environment friendly way than traditional building methods. They say the technology may also help solve America’s shortage of
3D printing’s new challenge: Solving the US housing shortage
A 3D-printed housing module is delivered in Livermore, California. Most of the modules built by Mighty Buildings are assembled in the factory, transported by truck to owners’ properties, then put into place using a crane. (Courtesy of Mighty Buildings via AP)
By TERENCE CHEA
Associated Press
A new generation of startups wants to disrupt the way houses are built by automating production with industrial 3D printers.
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, uses machines to deposit thin layers of plastic, metal, concrete and other materials atop one another, eventually producing three-dimensional objects from the bottom up. In recent years, 3D printers have mostly been used to create small quantities of specialized items such as car parts or prosthetic limbs, allowing consumers or businesses to produce just what they need using the machines at home or work.
Associated Pres
A new generation of startups wants to disrupt the way houses are built by automating production with industrial 3D printers.
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, uses machines to deposit thin layers of plastic, metal, concrete and other materials atop one another, eventually producing three-dimensional objects from the bottom up. In recent years, 3D printers have mostly been used to create small quantities of specialized items such as car parts or prosthetic limbs, allowing consumers or businesses to produce just what they need using the machines at home or work.
Now a small number of startups around the world are applying 3D printing to home construction, arguing that it’s faster, cheaper and more sustainable than traditional construction. They say these technologies could help address severe housing shortages that have led to soaring home prices, overcrowding, evictions and homelessness across the U.S.
3D printing s new challenge: Solving the US housing shortage timescolonist.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timescolonist.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Proponents note that printing houses rather than nailing them together could save huge quantities of scrap wood, metal and other discarded construction materials that are dumped into landfills every year.
Backers say 3D printing reduces the need for human labor at a time when home builders are struggling to find enough skilled workers to meeting housing demand. Many construction workers left the trades after the housing-fueled financial crisis more than a decade ago, and fewer young people are entering the field.
Jason Ballard, CEO and co-founder of a 3D printing construction startup called ICON, said its 3D printing system can do the work of 10 to 20 workers in five or six different trades. And unlike humans, the machines can work up to 24 hours a day, saving developers time and money.