Three Dutch organizations have teamed up to create a printer capable of printing continuous glass- or carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics, according to Arch Paper. The firms (materials company DSM, engineering firm Royal HaskoningDHV, and the 3D printer manufacturer CEAD) are currently demonstrating the capabilities of printing structural elements, along with entire pedestrian bridges, with CEAD’s CFAM Prime printer. According to the article, this printer can create parts as large as 13 x 6.5 x 5 feet.
Although formwork molds have previously been created by large-scale printers, this project is an example of the potential of 3D printing to create large polymer structural elements, and possibly entire bridges. The firms say combining polymers with continuous fibers “allows for the construction of lightweight, high-strength elements ideal for infrastructure solutions.”
Source: Arch Paper
