HACKER Q&A
📣 jelliclesfarm

Who offers 3D printed structures(not homes)?


A lot of 3D printing construction companies and they are all focused on building homes.

While I understand that the construction industry is a trillion dollar one, it is certainly not a low hanging fruit with permits and expenses and labour unions and govts involved etc.

I have asked this to some of the 3D construction startup folks and they don’t seem to be interested. Why don’t we have 3D printing services for fences, sheds, landscaping, barns, etc.

This is low hanging fruit and speaking for Ag, we need a lot of structures that are not for habitation and we could use some technology. It’s good testing ground and honestly I think it should be the first offering. Not 3D printed homes.

For even my small farm, I need a shade structure, packing shed, storage shed, office, greenhouse, barn maybe(wishlist)..if I had animals, there are more applications. I guess it is even more useful in landscaping for gazebos and backyard sheds or outdoor spaces.

3D printed Housing otoh is a pain. In California, an optimistic outlook is maybe..if ever..30 years at least. The construction unions will never permit it.

  👤 toast0 Accepted Answer ✓
Flat pack sheds out of plastic exist and aren't too expensive. I don't see how you're going to get cheaper by 3d printing vs molded plastic. Simple structures don't need a whole lot of finesse and can be built from wood parts cheaply (subject to wood costs, of course) too. Prefab sheds and small barns are available at most home stores too. Most of the labor for a house comes from finish work which 3d printing doesn't cover anyway; it's a boondoggle for the most part.
👤 jelliclesfarm
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https://3dprint.com/292186/saint-gobain-launches-parametric-... [..] As with bridges, people seem to have a particular affinity for 3D printed stairs. With good reason: aside from just being eye-catching structures, the ability to print things like bridges and staircases could be a significant factor determining the long-term success of the additive construction sector.

Although stairs produced via additive manufacturing (AM) are becoming more commonplace lately, there’s still something quite unique about the latest such project, launched by Saint-Gobain: they’re engineered with parametric design. The project reduced CO2 emissions by 50 percent and construction time by eight weeks, compared to traditional methods.

👤 jelliclesfarm
https://www.concretewinetanks.com : we even have concrete wine tanks and fermenters now. Google ‘egg shaped fermenters’

https://www.bibendum-wine.co.uk/news-stories/articles/wine/w...

I am also thinking that it would work for distilling..Altho not concrete but more like clay extruders.

👤 aristofun
How exactly do you expect a 3D printing of something already dead simple/cheap to build to be more cost effective?

Any particular examples you have in mind maybe