Mar 19, 2019 | By Thomas
Saudi Arabia's Elite for Construction & Development Company has purchased what has been described as the world's largest 3D construction printer from Danish firm Cobod International. The purchase was made as a response to the Kingdom's need to build 1.5 million new houses in the next decade.
The Cobod 3D printer, BOD 2, is able to print buildings up to 12 metres wide, 27 metres long and 9 metres high. And three- storeyed buildings of more than 300 sq m per storey could be made with the printer in one go.
Cobod said that the BOD2 3D printer will be delivered in Saudi Arabia by the end of May, adding that the machine will be the "first of its kind" in the kingdom.
Cobod's developments in the field of concrete printing began in 2015. That resulted in “The BOD” building, Europe’s first 3D printed building, in Copenhagen in 2017. In 2018 they launched the BOD2 3D printer, an updated version of the gantry system used to build the BOD office hotel. This system boasts a print speed of one meter per second.
Speaking on the firm's latest news, Henrik Lund-Nielsen, chief executive officer at Cobod International, said: "We are very proud to receive this order from Saudi Arabia, which again confirms that our Bod 2 3D construction printer is second to none.
"Not only is the Bod 2 the fastest 3D construction printer in the world, but the modular approach of the Bod 2 has allowed us to deliver the size that Elite For Construction & Development Co wanted."
Saad Al Shathri, general manager of Elite for Construction & Development Co, said the firm will deliver the output of the 3D printer's "revolutionising technology" across Saudi Arabia.
He added: "[Bod 2] will bring costs significantly down compared to the temporary, imported printers using foreign made materials."
Lund-Nielsen explained that a small private house was 3D printed in Riyadh at the end of 2018. Now, multiple public and private organisations are requesting the use of the 3D construction printing technology in new construction projects, as soon as the technology is available locally on a permanent basis.
Posted in 3D Printer
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I think this is incorrect and false information. ETH Zürich posesses RFL (robotic fabrication lab) which is of dimensions 43 by 16 by 8 meters and can be used for a wide variety of applications, including 3d printing. Therefore, the largest printer according to you will not be introduced in 2019, but is already around since 2016.