Did you know that 3d printers can also print an entire house?
And no, I’m not just talking about small parts, but the entire home
itself. Here is how it works.
Here is how it works (thanks captain
obvious): To
start track is laid down on either side of the planned foundation. The
foundation, is already pre-constructed, so if there is a basement, the
structural walls or temporary support malls for that are already put in place.
From there the giant 3d printer begins its work. It uses the track
to move across the property, or even over multiple properties to build one to
several homes that have been programed into its system. There's a
nozzle(s) on the end of a boom that excretes the contents of multiple hoppers
for various liquefied materials such as cement, copper wire, foam insulation
and even glass. Then just like a regular 3d printer the house or houses
are built bit by bit with the robot 3d printer keeping to the design specks.
Wood is no problem for this machine either as by using sheets of plant
fibers, gluing them and then cutting them can make a wood like material when
necessary. Wiring is done in such a way that they are insulated in the
walls with outlets and other electronic equipment implanted into the building
itself. This eliminates seems, but designed to be accessed by future
electricians for upgrades/changes. Even plumbing is laid down via the
creation of thick plastic or metal pipes via the 3d printer. Heck, not only can
it print a kitchen sink, but also a fireplace too (and that is done with its
liquefied rock ink to get whatever look you desire). All of this is additive
type manufacturing, in which material is added and them either
melted/hardened/glued into place.
Limitations: The main limitation is that if the
3d printed home has a design flaw, then the machine cannot fix that (as in the
design of the home that was programed had a design flaw). Also, if energy
requirements for the home go beyond what the original design called for, then
you again would need some sort of outside help from an electrician to fix the
problem (this is in reference to changes in electrical needs over time).
Home remodeling is the same deal. Construction workers of all sorts
will still be required to do such jobs. On top of this, whatever the 3d
printer does not do, a construction worker will. So if the steps to say
the basement are not built with the 3d printer due to a design limitation the
3d printer cannot as of yet overcome, then the workers will have to do it.
So any and all finishing touches that the 3d printer is not designed to
overcome yet, or is incapable of doing will be done by workers. Also, the
printer needs a clearing to do a job so the track can be laid down. So
this prohibits its current use on uneven/jagged terrain on the side of
mountains or dense forest. So these too will be left to the skills of the
construction worker.
Conclusion: While still being fully developed
and implemented, the 3d home printer stands to make custom built homes very
cheap and efficient as it will reduce almost all costs from labor save initial
setup and removal of the 3d printer, and finishing details on the interior and
exterior of the home. So we are seeing a revolution is housing mass production.
However, this thankfully does not eliminate the construction worker from
the job. Custom, detailed or other work will still need to be done by
these skilled laborers. So these workers may end up with niche jobs like
custom aftermarket tiling, or home remodeling as opposed to constructing an
entire home from scratch. As such, construction workers will be
supplanted in the housing market, but not lose their overall need. I
don't know about you, but I look forward to cheaper homes as it means more homes
become affordable. So I welcome this technological triumph with glee.
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