12 August, 2024
Like other 3D printers, the Vulcan printer puts down layer by layer of materials to build an object. However, this printer is more than 13.7 meters wide and prints homes for people to live in.
This summer, the robotic printer from the homebuilder ICON will complete the last of the 100 3D-printed houses in Wolf Ranch, a community about 48 kilometers from Austin, Texas.
ICON began printing the walls of what it says is the world's largest 3D-printed community in November 2022.
Compared to traditional homebuilding, the company says 3D printing is faster, less costly, requires fewer workers, and reduces waste.
Conner Jenkins, a project leader, said, "It brings a lot of efficiency to the trade market... So, when there were maybe five different crews coming in to build a wall system, we now have one crew and one robot."
After concrete powder, water, sand and other additives are mixed together and put into the printer, a device called a nozzle releases the concrete mixture. The process looks like toothpaste being put onto a toothbrush, as the printer builds up the house layer by layer along an exact path.
The three- to four-bedroom homes take about three weeks to finish printing, with the foundation and metal roofs put in place with traditional building methods.
Jenkins said the concrete walls are designed to be resistant to water, mold, insects and extreme weather.
Lawrence Nourzad, 32, and his girlfriend Angela Hontas, 29, purchased a Wolf Ranch home earlier this summer.
"It feels like a fortress," Nourzad said, adding that he was confident the home would hold up to severe weather conditions.
The walls also provide strong insulation from the Texas heat, the couple said. The materials keep the inside temperature cool even when the air conditioner is not put on high levels.
There was one other thing the 3D-printed walls seemed to protect against, however: a solid wireless internet connection.
Nourzad said, "Obviously these are really strong, thick walls. And that's what provides a lot of value for us as homeowners and keeps this thing really well-insulated in a Texas summer, but signal doesn't transfer through these walls very well."
To deal with this issue, an ICON spokeswoman said most Wolf Ranch homeowners use mesh internet routers. These routers broadcast a signal from several units placed throughout a home, whereas a traditional router sends a signal from one device.
The 3D-printed homes at Wolf Ranch cost from $450,000 to nearly $600,000. Developers said a little more than one quarter of the 100 homes have been sold.
ICON, which 3D-printed its first home in Austin in 2018, hopes to one day take its technology to the Moon.
NASA, as part of its Artemis Moon exploration program, has an agreement for ICON to develop a system capable of building landing pads, shelters, and other structures on the moon's surface.
I'm Ashley Thompson.
Evan Garcia reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.
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Words in This Story
3D printer – n. a device used to manufacture objects by depositing material in layers according to a pattern or model
layer – n. a quantity of material covering a surface
efficiency – n. the capability of producing desired results with little or no waste
foundation -- n. a body or ground upon which something is built up
mold – n. a growth produced especially on damp or decaying organic matter
fortress – n. a large and permanent fortification
insulation – n. special material that prevents transfer of electricity, heat, or sound
transfer -- v. to move or convey from one place or situation to another