Extrusion-based 3D concrete printing (E3DCP) has been appreciated by academia and industry as the most plausible candidate for prospective concrete constructions.
Mechanical System |
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Principal shaping process |
Printing system |
Extruder system |
Positioning system |
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Basic sub-process |
Basic fittings |
Mix proportioning system |
Primary mixing system |
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Pumping system |
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Curing system |
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Advanced sub-process |
Advanced fittings |
Secondary mixing system |
Setting-/Fluid-on-demand system |
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In-process reinforcement system |
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Interlayer bonding enhancement system |
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Finishing system |
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Support placement system |
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Monitoring and feedback system |
Reference |
Positioning System |
Degree of Freedom |
Build Volume (L × W × H m)/Reach (m) |
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Gantry |
3-axis | |||||||
Secondary mixing system (with secondary dosage) |
Static mixer |
• Higher (additives) 20 × 18 × 18 |
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• Low | • The compatibility of different static mixers with different concrete materials. |
Gantry |
3-axis |
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Dynamic mixer |
• Higher (additives) |
• Medium/High |
1.2 × 1.2 × 1.0 |
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• The optimization of mechanical parameters, operational parameters, concrete material property, chemical admixture type and dosage and printing path. | ||||||||
Setting/Fluid on demand system |
Gantry |
Thermal heating 3-axis |
• Non 0.5 × 0.39 × 1.1 |
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• Low/Medium/High * |
• Thermal gradients that can lead to non-uniform modifications of concrete properties. • Numerical modelling of the thermal effects during concrete extrusion. |
Robotic arm |
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Electro/permanent magnet | 6-axis Fanuc R-2000iC/165F |
- |
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• Higher material (magnetic particles) |
• Medium/High * |
• Compatibility of magnetic particles with concrete materials. • The guidelines for operational parameter control. |
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Vibration |
Gantry |
• Non 3-axis |
• Medium/High * - |
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• Impacts of vibration on the material extrudability. |
Gantry |
3-axis |
3.0 × 3.0 × 3.0 |
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In-process reinforcement system |
Entrainment |
• Higher (reinforcements) |
• Medium/High * |
• The control of the feed-in speed of the reinforcement materials. • The correct alignment of the reinforcement with respect to the concrete layer cross-sectional centroid to prevent anisotropic properties and ensure uniform covering |
Robotic arm |
6-axis KUKA KR60 HA |
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Placing between layers |
• High/High * |
• Concrete materials with appropriate rheological properties to seal the horizontal weak interface which would be otherwise susceptible for moisture and chemical invasions. • Precise positionings of the reinforcement |
- |
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Gantry |
3-axis |
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Cross-layer encasement |
• High/High * | 1.8 × 1.8 × 1.5 |
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• Concrete materials with appropriate rheological properties to seal both the vertical and horizontal weak interfaces |
• Precise positionings of the reinforcement in terms of the centerline alignments. |
Cross-layer penetration Gantry |
• High/High * 4-axis |
• Precise positionings of the reinforcement in terms of the spacing and centerline alignments. 9 × 4.5 × 2.8 |
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Gantry |
3-axis |
0.15 × 0.15 × 0.12 |
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Interlayer bonding enhancement system |
Bonding agents |
• Higher (bonding agents) |
• Medium |
• Compatibility of the bonding agents with the concrete materials. |
Robotic arm |
6-axis Denso |
- |
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Physical |
• Non |
• Medium/High |
• The implementations of the physical means without affecting the extrusion process. |
Robotic arm |
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Finishing system |
• Non |
6-axis FANUC R-2000iC/165F |
- |
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• High |
• More precise precision according to the printing path |
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Support placement system |
Gantry |
3-axis |
- |
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• Higher (supports) |
• High |
• Precise positions of the supports. • The effects of pause on the printing time and open time of the concrete materials. |
Robotic arm and gantry |
6-axis ABB IRB 4600 robotic arm hanging on a Güdel 3-axis gantry |
- |
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Monitoring and feedback system |
• Non |
• Medium/High |
• The monitoring itself is not complex, however, the real-time analysis, feedback and adjustment can significantly increase the complexity |
Gantry |
3-axis |
10.36 × 2.74 × 3.05 |
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Gantry |
3-axis |
0.40 × 0.30 × 0.30 |
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Gantry |
4-axis |
- |
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Gantry |
4-axis |
- |
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[3] |
Gantry |
3-axis |
Infinite × 14.6 × 8.1 |
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Gantry |
3-axis |
Infinite × 8.53 × 2.59 |
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Robotic arm |
6-axis |
2.65–3.50 |
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Robotic arm |
7-axis |
Infinite × Infinite × ~3 |
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Delta system |
- |
17 × 12 × 5 |
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[4] |
Delta system |
- |
7 × 7 × 12 m |
Advanced Fittings |
Material Cost |
Technical Complexity * |
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Low, when the system is a passive system; medium, when the system is automated but independent of the printing path and programming; high, when the system needs to be integrated and programed with the printing path definition to perform its intended task; high *, when the system could be coupled with the printing path to achieve functional-graded materials.