3d Metal Printing

CASE STUDY: Canal house Amsterdam – by DUS

architects
DUS ARCHITECTS, a Dutch company is making a 3d printed, 13 room
canal house made from separate but interlocking components.

The rooms will be structural entities on their ownand will be placed on

top of each other to make a house.

The Canal House is printed with the Kamer Maker, a large portable 3D
printer that can print entire interiors and measures 2 x 2 x 3,5 meter.
The primary material being used is bio plastic, the bio plastic is created
from rapeseeds, and can be ground down and reused as necessary.

LITERATURE OF 3D Metal Printing

3D printing is a technology in which three dimensional objects can be
created using many very thin layers stacked on top of each other. While
the technology is becoming more and more practical, it has been
around since 1984, when it was invented by Charles Hull using
something called stereo lithography in which a perforated platform is
place under a vat of photo polymer.

A laser then traces layers of the object causing the photo polymer to
harden, and is repeated until finished. (3D Printing. Cover story.
2012)Since then, there have been many improvements on the
technology and it has evolved into using something called material
jetting. In which photo polymer is emitted using a multi-nozzle print
head. After every layer is placed a UV light is then used to harden the
material. This of course can only be used to print plastic like materials
and while printing metal alloys is possible it is still very expensive and
experimental.

3D printing has grown dramatically in the last 20 years and is now being
incorporated into many big manufacturer names such as Ford, Mattel,
and General Electric. It is expected that 3D printing will be the next
game changing technology but since it is still fairly new, it is uncertain.
Many people still have doubts about 3D printing because it still has
many unexplored horizons, and the technology has recently raised
questions about safety and issues dealing with piracy.

Though 3D printing is still a growing technology, it already has many

benefits and drawbacks. While many people agree that this technology
could change the world, there are also those who believe it could have
extreme consequences if it is not researched and tested thoroughly. As
the technology beings to grow more and more throughout the next
couple of years there will be more information and data that will
determine whether it is a technology that is here to stay or it is
something that will simply not make it. For now it is something that has
to be further looked into in order to fully understand its extents
whether good or bad.

Advantages
• RAPID PROTOTYPING: 3D printing gives designers

the ability to quickly turn concepts into 3D models

or prototypes (a.k.a., rapid prototyping).

• Clean process. Wastage of material is negligible.

• Complex shape can be produced .

• EASY TO USE No skilled person needed.

• REDUCE DESIGN COMPLEXITY

• CHEAP Cheaper process than any other process.

• People in remote locations can fabricate objects

that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.

Disadvantages
• Process is slow

• Components do not have enough strength.

• COST OF RAW MATERIALS

• 3-D printers are still expensive.

• Misuse of technology

• Although 3-D printers have the potential of creating many

jobs and opportunities, they might also put certain jobs

at risk .

• Material limitation.