Dive Brief:
- A 3-D printing team at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) plans to create the world’s largest 3-D printed object: a 16-foot cocktail bar to be installed in one of the pavilion entrances to Design Miami later this year.
- Designed by architectural firm ShOP, the bar will be partially constructed by Branch Technology using a robotic arm to print an ABS plastic and carbon fiber substrate. ORNL’s own large-format 3-D printer will be used to print an additional substrate of bamboo.
- ORNL also holds the current world record for the largest 3-D printed object: a trimming and drilling tool used by Boeing to build the wings for its 777X airplanes.
Dive Insight:
The 3-D printing and additive manufacturing teams at ORNL are follow up their announcement of creating the world's first 3-D printed excavator project with nothing less than the attempt to break a 3-D printing world record.
Robotics are key to the large-format effort here, as standard 3-D gantry printers are size-limited when it comes to output. The incorporation of a robotic arm for printing substantially increases the overall build envelope of the printing system. Branch Technology founder Platt Boyd told Construction Dive that the system can go even bigger, with 22-foot long, 7-foot wide components within easy reach. While ORNL and others continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible using 3-D printing in applied construction and design settings, Boyd said the industry should be skeptical of any kind of be-all, end-all, technology solutions.
However, 3-D printing technology has the potential to substantially disrupt conventional building practices by offering modular construction alternatives, onsite manufacturing of building materials, and the ability to create machine parts on-demand.
