3D Printing Technology

1. INTRODUCTION

Large-scale Addictive Manufacturing (AM) has become an increasingly researched field

in architecture and construction engineering during the last two decades. Three
dimensional (3D) printing is an innovation technique to construct objects using 3D printer
fed by a digital file that describes the details of this object. It is also recognized as
additive manufacturing (AM), additive fabrication, additive processes, direct digital
manufacturing, Rapid Prototyping (RP), rapid manufacturing, layer manufacturing, and
solid free form fabrication. Such printer uses materials such as plastics, concrete, sand,
resins, or metals. Researchers studied different types of 3D printers, materials, and
construction procedures to take this technique forward to construct structural components
and/or whole structure . In addition, the 3D concrete printing was described in terms of
geometry, conducted experimental research, and the difficulties of construction.

Additive manufacturing is used by multiple industry subsectors, including motor

Vehicles, aerospace, machinery, electronics, and medical products. Technologies that
enabled the advancement of Additive manufacturing were the desktop computer and the
availability of industrial Lasers. This seminar paper presents a state-of-the-art review of
the advances in 3D printing procedures, General principles and their features, 3D printing
application, it’s advantages and their overall cost comparison to traditional method.

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2. 3D PRINTING

3D printing or additive manufacturing is the construction of a three-dimensional object

from a CAD model or a digital 3D model. It can be done in a variety of processes in
which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer control, with material
being added together (such as plastics, liquids or powder grains being fused), typically
layer by layer.

2.1. 3D PRINTING FEATURES

2.1.1 Architectural Flexibility

3D printing allows architects to Design structures with various functional and bizarre
geometries that are difficult to build in conventional construction practice. A schematic
chart regarding the Architectural flexibility relative to the cost and construction Speed.

2.1.2 Structural Features

Structural engineering is advancing In the building industry as a response to the

development of 3D printing in terms of materials and structural systems as Follows.

2.1.3 Advances in Materials

Traditional types of concrete are not the most convenient material for 3D printing as a
result of predictable problems of aggregate jamming in the nozzle, compacting obstacles,
and the spacing limitations due to rebar and formwork installation. Currently, more
research studies are oriented to discover new concrete material or identify available
concrete material to be used in 3D printing and have the appropriate mechanical
properties and capabilities to be extruded continuously and stacked up over one another

2.1.4 Environmental Features

The construction industry uses more than 40% of raw materials globally. For example, the
CC technique can reduce the material waste from seven tons to almost none for a single
family home. CC objects use a material as needed only. Furthermore, CO2 emission from
the CC process is small fraction compared to the current emission of the conventional
concrete process (CCP) of the concrete masonry unit sustainable structures.

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2.1.5 Construction Features

The construction industry may have one or more of the following challenges, namely,
slow productivity, poor quality, low safety, and insufficient skilled labour. Some Japanese
construction companies are seeking to overcome the shortage of skilled labour by
implementing automation. Accordingly, they produced either single task robots to replace
simple labour activities or fully automated systems that can construct high-rise steel
buildings or steel reinforced concrete buildings using prefabricated components. This
resulted in producing more than 89 single task construction robots and 11 full automated
construction system. Even though the robotics have improved the productivity, safety,
and quality, the construction still follows the conventional processes. Automated
conventional construction like using a robot to lay bricks is expensive. Therefore, the
layered construction has become the new alternative in the construction industry. For
example, the installation of reinforcements and the assembly of ties and studs are labour
exhausting job. Using the CC procedure, the installment of steel reinforcement into each
layer is designed.

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3. TYPES OF 3D PRINTING

3.1 FDM – FUSED DEPOSITION MODELING

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is a common desktop 3D printing technology for

plastic parts. An FDM printer functions by extruding a plastic filament layer-by-layer
onto the build platform. It’s a cost-effective and quick method for producing physical
models. There are some instances when FDM can be used for functional testing but the
technology is limited due to parts having relatively rough surface finishes and lacking
strength.

Fig. 3.1 FDM – Fused Deposition Modeling

3.2 SLA – STEREOLITHOGRAPHY

Stereolithography (SLA) is the original industrial 3D printing process. SLA printers

excels at producing parts with high levels of detail, smooth surface finishes, and tight
tolerances. The quality surface finishes on SLA parts, not only look nice, but can aid in
the part’s function testing the fit of an assembly, for example. It’s widely used in the
medical industry and common applications include anatomical models and microfluidics.
We use Vipers, Projects, and iPros 3D printers manufactured by 3D Systems for SLA
parts.

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Fig. 3.2 SLA – Stereolithography

3.3 SLS – SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING

Selective laser sintering (SLS) melts together nylon-based powders into solid plastic.
Since SLS parts are made from real thermoplastic material, they are durable, suitable for
functional testing, and can support living hinges and snap-fits. In comparison to SL, parts
are stronger, but have rougher surface finishes. SLS doesn’t require support structures so
the whole build platform can be utilized to nest multiple parts into a single build making
it suitable for part quantities higher than other 3D printing processes. Many SLS parts are
used to prototype designs that will one day be injection-molded. For our SLS printers, we
use sPro140 machines developed by 3D systems.

Fig.3.3 SLS – Selective Laser Sintering

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4. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

4.1 MODELING

The first stage involved in 3D printing is additive manufacturing, where in Computer

Aided Design (CAD) takes virtual blueprints or animation modelling software. They are
then cut into digital cross-sections, which the machine will use as their guide for printing.
The type of machine being used here will determine the material, or binding material,
which will be deposited on the build bed or platform. This will be done until the material,
or binder layering, is accomplished. The modelling stage ends once the final 3D model
has been "printed."

4.2 PRINTING

The second step of 3D printing involves printing, or building, the object. Assuming there
are no errors in the STL or AMF file, the manufacturing company can upload it to the 3D
printer. The 3D printer will use the instructions in the respective file to dictate where and
how the material is deposited. Most 3D printers build objects by depositing layers of
material onto a bed. The 3D printer will build the bottom layer first, after which it will
build the next-highest layer. 3D printers may use different materials to build objects,
though thermoplastic is the most common material used for this process. Thermoplastic
pellets or beads are extruded out of the printer head, at which point they fall onto the bed
where they form the printed object.

4.3 FINISHING

While the printer-produced resolution is workable for various types of applications,

printing an enlarged version of the item in standard resolution, and then eliminating the
material with a higher-resolution subtractive process, is only possible when you opt for
higher-resolution. A number of additive manufacturing strategies have the capacity to use
different materials when constructing parts. Other strategies also utilize supports when
building.

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5. 3D PRINTING APPLICATIONS

5.1 MEDICAL

New way to heal broken bones. In the near future having a broken arm could look way cooler
tanks to a new, black, lightweight 3D printed cast that patterned like lattice work and which
uses an ultrasound device to make bones heal

5.1.1 Medical equipment

3D printing has left its mark in biomedical engineering as well, from the prototyping of
artificial limbs to the manufacturing of quickly.

Fig. 5.1 Medical Equipment

5.2 JEWELLERY

Limited edition jewellery is an extremely hyped-up thing these days, although the
production cost is not as much as the tags say, but women buy it for the sake of self
satisfaction. These limited edition pieces are also 3D printed.

Fig. 5.2 Jewellery

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5.3 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

Building printing refers to various technology that use 3D printing as a way to construct
buildings. The advantages of this would be quicker construction, lower labour cost, and
less waste produced. It is also a potential way of building extra terrestrial structures on the
moon or other planets were environmental conditions are less conductive to human labour
intensive building practices

5.3.1 India's first 3D printed house

India's first 3D-printed house is built by alumni of IIT-Madras. India's first 3D-printed
house is now ready. Taste's first structure is a single-storey house. The house was built in
just 106 hours. Tavasta's official blog states, When it comes to waste materials.

Fig.5.3 India’s first 3D printed house

5.4 AEROSPACE AND AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURING

High technology companies such as aerospace and automobile manufacturers have been
using 3D printing as a prototyping tool for some time now. The future of 3D printing in
these industries lies with creating working parts directly from a 3D Printer for use in the
final product, not just for testing purposes. This process is already underway For future
cars and aircraft. The way in which 3D printing works

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Fig 5.4 3D Printing in Aerospace

6. ADVANTAGES OF 3D PRINTING

6.1 ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

As this technology reduces the amount of material wastage used this process is inherently
environmentally friendly. However, the environmental benefits are extended when you
consider factors such as improved fuel efficiency from using lightweight 3D printed parts.

6.2 FLEXIBLE DESIGN

3D printing allows for the design and print of more complex designs than traditional
manufacturing processes. More traditional processes have design restrictions which no
longer apply with the use of 3D printing.

6.3 DURABLE PARTS

The assembly parts that are manufactured with help of 3D printing are lightweight and
durable because 3D printing can work with a variety of materials that better suits the
manufacturer. Although the materials have to be checked according to the required
parameters for safety and sustainability.

6.4 MINIMISING WASTE

The material only needed to build a 3D object is deposited layers by layer according to
the design fed into the printer which means less waste.

6.5 COST-EFFECTIVENESS

The process of 3D printing is extremely cost-effective,3D printing saves time and

therefore costs associated with using different machines for manufacture. 3D printers can

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also be set up and left to get on with the job, meaning that there is no need for operators
to be present the entire time. As mentioned above, this manufacturing process can also
reduce costs on materials as it only uses the amount of material required for the part itself,
with little or no wastage. While 3D printing equipment can be expensive to buy.

7. DISADVANTAGES OF 3 D PRINTING

7.1 HIGH ENERGY CONSUMPTION

According to research by Loughborough University, 3D printers consume approximately

50 to 100 times more energy than injection molding, when melting plastic with heat or
lasers. In 2009, studies at The Environmentally Benign Manufacturing, a research group
dedicated to investigating the environmental impacts related to product manufacturing,
showed that direct laser metal deposition uses 100 times as much electrical energy as
traditional manufacturing. For mass production, 3D printers consume a lot of energy and
are therefore better suited for small batch production runs.

7.2 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY IS EXPENSIVE

3D printing equipment and materials cost make the technology expensive. Industrial
grade 3D printers are still expensive costing hundreds of thousands of dollar, which
makes the initial expenses of using the technology very high. For a single machine,
capital investment starts in the tens of thousands of dollars, and can increase to as high as
hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.

7.3 DESIGN INACCURACIES

Another potential problematic with 3D printing is directly related to the type of machine
or process used, with some printers having lower tolerances, meaning that final parts may
differ from the original design. This can be fixed in post processing, but it must be
considered that this will further increase the time and cost of production.

7.4 REDUCTION IN MANUFACTURING JOBS

Another of the disadvantages of 3D technology is the potential reduction in human

labour, since most of the production is automated and done by printers. However, many
third world countries rely on low skill jobs to keep their economies running, and this

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technology could put these manufacturing jobs at risk by cutting out the need for
production abroad..

8. COMPARISON BETWEEN TRADITIONAL METHOD AND 3 D

PRINTING TECHNOLOGY

8.1 TIME AND COST CONSIDERATION

When it comes to production, businesses are most concerned with lead time and costs
incurred. Parts produced by traditional manufacturing generally take a longer time, as
moulds are required to facilitate the process. 3D printing does not require the use of
moulds. This is due to the fact that it is an additive manufacturing process which involves
depositing material layer by layer on the printing bed. Lead time can be as short as a few
days, while observing a significant reduction in cost as there is no need for moulds.

8.2 FREEDOM TO DESIGN

End-use parts made with traditional manufacturing need to adhere by strict design for
manufacturing (DFM) rules. DFM refers to the process of designing or engineering a
product in order to facilitate the manufacturing process to reduce manufacturing costs.
Therefore, businesses usually discourage producing parts with complex structures as this
would result in unnecessary costs. However, 3D printing eliminates this concern.
Additive manufacturing processes are able to print complex designs at no additional cost.

8.3 QUANTITY OF PARTS

An important factor to consider when deciding between traditional manufacturing and 3D

printing is the number of parts you require. The key difference is that traditional
manufacturing is more suitable for mass/large scale production. On the other hand, 3D
printing proves to be more economical for low volume manufacturing/short-run
production. This is because it doesn’t make sense to create a mould for a production cycle
of as little as 50 parts.

8.4 MATERIALS OFFERED

Traditional manufacturing options like injection moulding and forming can offer a high
material selection. 3D printing offers much lesser materials.

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9. LOCAL CASE STUDY AND SIMULATION PROCESS

The mechanism of action of 3D printing is illustrated by applying it on Ras Alain

Multipurpose Hall. At the beginning, the suggested model of Ras Alain Multipurpose
Hall is generated on Revit software.

9.1 RAS ALAIN MULTIPURPOSE HALL BY 3D PRINTING.

In this section, the building is redesigned in order to adapt the process of 3D printing.
Construction works quantity are calculated by Revit software. 3D printing process is
mainly based on the predefined material deposition path which defines the path of the
printer’s nozzle where the construction process and time can be evaluated once the model
is converted to STL file and the tool path is defined.

The building model is first converted to STL file and sliced into layers to send the order
to the 3D printer. The layout of one single layer is converted into a model which consists
of edge and vertices. Edges represent the walls, and the vertices represent the
intersections, w corners, or the end points of wall segments.

Fig 9.1 The layers of Ras Alain Multipurpose Hall

Fig. 9.2 The printing process from STL file to the 3D printer on site

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9.1.1. Concrete material.

In the case of Ras Alain Multipurpose Hall, self-compacted concrete is used to expedite
concrete compaction while maintaining the quality of the structure. On the other hand,
extruded self-compacted concrete addresses the formwork, aggregate, and rebar issue by
using fibers that improve the cohesion of the concrete mix. Extruded self-compacted
concrete is used for external walls, internal walls, slabs, beams, columns, and stairs. An
array of cementitious materials could be used with different proportions of concrete or
polymers where the maximum strength of a cementitious mix could reach 70 MPa
strength.

9.1.2. Frame

Steel frames are to be constructed first to support the 12 m span of slab level. It would be
better if enough guidelines are available to use 3D printed beam Segments connected by
steel instead of steel frames. The Locations of these frames are shown in the structural
drawing of floor plan provided in Appendix.

9.1.3 External wall

The external wall of Ras Alain Multipurpose Hall by 3D printing constructed without
using Separate formwork materials. Layers of self-compacted Concrete are gradually
built up to form the external hollow core walls that are three times stronger than the
external Walls built with conventional concrete. In addition, these Walls can still be
customized to simultaneously add in Plumbing and electrical fixtures and even
infrastructure Pipes. To build the 30 cm thickness, the nozzle builds the Outside edges
with thickness of 5 cm, then it builds 2.5 cm thickness of the central axes, and finally, it
builds 2.5 cm thickness of the zigzag line in the two sides of the central axes to ensure the
coherence of the wall. After the whole walls are constructed, it would be cladded with
stone.

9.1.4 Internal wall

The internal wall of Ras Alain Multipurpose Hall by 3D printing is constructed in two
types: the first one is solid-core wall with 10 cm thickness. The second type is a
hollowcore wall with 15 cm thickness where the extrusion nozzle builds the outside edges

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with thickness of 2.5 cm, and then it builds 2.5 cm thickness of the zigzag line to ensure
the coherence of the wall.

Fig 9.3 External and Internal walls of Ras Alain Multipurpose Hall by CC

9.1.5 Lintels

The lintels are printed first and placed aside of the building until their turn to be placed
above each opening. Then, robotic arms grab each lintel and place it on the right place
after the required wall layers are printed. Lastly, the nozzle continues placing concrete
layers between lintels and continues to place concrete above them until slab level.

9.1.6 Slabs

In steel sheets attached already to 3D printed beams are to be prepared first and placed
aside of the printer. Then, these beams with attached sheets are picked by robot arms and
placed on the floor level such that the vertical reinforcement of walls passes through the
holes at the edge of these steel sheets. Screws are then placed and rotated to tighten the
steel sheets to wall reinforcements. Finally, the 3D printer can apply the concrete on the
top of the arranged beams to finish the slab.

9.1.7 Material’s cost.

The quantities of materials composing the above ground level of external walls, internal
walls, and concrete members are calculated using Revit. The total quantity equals to 325
m3, and the cost of extruded self compacted concrete built by 3D printing per m3 is
estimated to be about 27.3 JD. The total cost of concrete material is which equals 8872.5
J

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Table 9.1 Cost of construction works above ground level by CC

Work description Unit Quantity Cost/unit(JD) Total cost(JD)

Self-compacted concrete total m3 325 27.3 8872.5

Table 9.2: Material cost comparison between conventional construction and CC

technique.

Construction type Total cost

Conventional construction 26,287.0

CC technique 8872.5

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10. CONCLUSION

As we can conclude from the above date, 3D printers are effective as compared to the old
conventional method of construction. 3D printers use waste material for construction. As
a result, the cost of labours are reduced as well as it is environment friendly. The demand
for 3D printing is increasing worldwide and is the future of the construction industry. As
we compare the time comparison between the old traditional method and 3d printing, time
consumed by 3d printing technology is very minimal. The demand is increasing so
effectively and efficiently that in upcoming years, every company will have to adapt this
technology for sustaining in the business world. Advantages, Time, and cost explanation
based on my research paper gave us an overall trend. As we can see that 3D printing
technology is booming all over the world, especially in India. The time difference
between 3D printing technology and old conventional method is magical. It can change
the revolution and it can set up the new era and the biggest change all over the world.

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11. REFERENCES

1. Department of architectural engineering the University of Jordan, Amman, choudhary-

Conventional Construction and 3D Printing a Comparison Study on Material Cost
2. Pandit, Aditi Kumari-International Journal of innovative Science And Research
Technology
3. Deepika R, Gokulakrishnan T and Srinithi K .A Research on 3d Printing Concrete.
4. Yoon-Si Lee and Sihyun Kim.3D Printing in Concrete Materials and its Application
5. Europian social fund - Domain Group 3D Printing Workshop Notes
6. Subhav Singh and Anju Bala. Critical Analysis Of Causes Of Delay In Residential
Construction Projects In India.
7. https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/what-is-3d-printing/prosandcons
8. https://www.slideshare.net/asertseminar/3dprinting-32339682

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