Sep 14, 2018 | By Thomas
Italian 3D printing company WASP has made a big impact with its massive 12 meter tall BigDelta 3D printer. The printer, which is installed in the municipality of Massa Lomarda, has been working on the development of the Shamballa Technological Park, a 3D printed experimental eco-village. For the past two years, the company has been working on the development of a new construction system, the Crane WASP “infinity 3D printer”, which will be presented on 6th and 7th October in Massa Lombarda.
The Crane WASP is a collaborative modular 3D printing system with different configurations to choose from. “Crane WASP the Infinity 3D printer reinterprets the classic building cranes from a digital manufacturing point of view," WASP states. "It is composed of a main printer unit that can be assembled in different configurations depending on the printing area and therefore on the dimensions of the architectural structure to be calculated in 3D.”
The Crane WASP evolved from the BigDelta 12M, and is created with the same modular mechanical components, which can be dismantled and reassembled for easy transport. The print area of the single module is 6.60 meters in diameter by 3 meters in height. The single module can work self-sufficiently to print print cement, bio cement, and natural dough. The single module can be expanded by adding traverses and printer arms, generating an infinite digital manufacturing system.
“It is not necessary to ‘cover’ the entire area involved in the construction with the printing area of the WASP Cranes because they can be reconfigured and can advance with generative attitude depending on the growth and shape of the building,” WASP states. “More WASP Cranes, when working together, have a potentially infinite printing area and can be set by the on-site operators following the evolution of the architectural project.”
As part of its Maker Economy Starter Kit, The WASP Crane is designed to print on-site materials with the addition of natural fibers. Launched in 2016, the Maker Economy Starter Kit includes the Big Delta 3D printers, tools and raw materials, and has been designed so that communities can fabricate structures using local materials, either natural or recycled. In addition to the 3D printers themselves, the Maker Economy Starter Kit will contain cutting tools, material preparation tools, power supply systems, material recycling systems, and other items needed to build sustainable structures.
The first structure 3D printed with the Crane WASP is the Gaia module complete with insulation and coating systems. The house is completely 3D printed in soil, and husks and rice straw are added to the interior of the 3D printed walls.
The Crane WASP “infinity 3D printer” and the Gaia Module will be presented to the public on October 6th and 7th in Massa Lombarda. You can find info about the event and entire program here.
Posted in 3D Printer
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