3D Printed Homes are Almost Here
Note: For those unfamiliar with 3D printing, it is a process in which material is joined or solidified under computer control to create a 3-dimensional object, with material being added together (such as liquid molecules or powder grains being fused together).
An innovative company in Sarasota County, 3D Build Systems, a division of Liteworld LLC, is preparing to use 3D printing to bring to market affordable homes which, amazingly, can be built in a matter of hours. The company’s first homes will be built in the summer of 2019 in Englewood, Florida.
CEO Don Musilli says, “It simplifies in many ways the way we construct a wall, but we can do it very quickly and with a pattern that can be done manually.”
The company is currently building a 3D printing robot. The robot can 3D print a home using cement or other approved materials in 24 to 36 hours and meet all building and safety codes for that specific region. The building process would require a robot to be placed in the center of the home. The robot would then pour concrete or other building materials to construct the shell of the house from the inside out. When the shell is nearing completion, a crane would then lift the robot out of the home, so the finishing touches can be completed. Using robots can dramatically cut the cost of constructing a home as well as the time required.
The first homes will be small, ranging from 700 to 1,400 square feet. The technology is so refined that it can offer complex architectural options such as rounded walls and dome ceilings that are often expensive for conventional builders to construct.
But will the homes be sturdy enough for hurricane force winds and other natural disasters? “These homes are going to be able to withstand 220-mile winds, an eight on the Richter Scale, and have a longevity of 150 years,” says Musilli. “They’re very, very strong homes.”
The company hopes to expand the construction of 3D homes to Charlotte County too.
By making homes far more affordable, the company’s mission statement is: “To help change the economic landscape by creating opportunities, spurring economic growth and providing a better life for the people who live and work in our community.”