CDME debuts construction 3D printer
Students, researchers and leaders from The Ohio State University as well as business and industry leaders recently gathered to see the Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) debut Ohio’s first construction 3D printer.
On April 6, almost 300 people gathered in a former equestrian arena to hear from key innovators in construction 3D printing and get a glimpse of the printer in action.
The printer, COBOD International’s BOD2 printer, prints concrete to build structures, like houses and infrastructure. It is one of less than 10 printers at universities worldwide. The printer landed at Ohio State through a partnership of additive manufacturing organizations, CDME, Pantheon Innovative Builders, America Makes and COBOD International.
Representatives from each partner organization shared their vision of the future construction industry and how the printer can revolutionize construction.
“A 3D printed house can cost a homebuyer 40% less,” said Pantheon Chief Executive Officer Ryan Kelly. “Not only that, but it will also help to fill the gap in the labor shortage in the construction industry.”
After the presentation, engineers mixed the concrete material in the arena and printed layers of a model floor plan. The printer lays concrete layer-by-layer
At the event, Bryant Youngblood, Pantheon’s chief workforce evolution officer, announced that they are creating a curriculum that can count as credit towards post-secondary or trade education. CDME works to prepare undergraduate students for the workforce by giving them hands-on experience with industry projects, so the collaboration is a perfect fit to prepare undergraduate students to be the leaders of the next-generation construction industry.
"The most exciting part about this is that Ohio State can get students engaged with this technology, so that they're not seeing it for the first time when they get out into the field," CDME Executive Director Nate Ames said. "They can be as much an expert as anybody else out there."
The event also spurred more conversations about collaboration within 3D-printed construction, whether it be different materials or different structures.
“The door for collaboration is always open,” said Ben DiMarco, CDME additive manufacturing principal engineer. “We want as many people involved as possible to get this off the ground.”
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