TITLE: DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A 3D CONCRETE PRINTER

BACKGROUND

In almost every industrial sector, automation of processes has contributed to a faster and cheaper
way of production. The sector of construction has not been automated in the same manner as other
industrial sectors. Therefore large benefits could be obtained by further automating this process.
With a more automated process, the advantages compared to conventional manufacturing is that it
takes less time, is less costly, and is more environmentally friendly.

3d printing, or rapid prototyping, was first introduced in 1987. Today there are many different
techniques within this area but the basic principle is the same. It is an additive manufacturing
technology that adds on material layer by layer, contrary to most traditional manufacturing methods
that are subtracting material. The 3d printer prints thin cross-sectional areas of the detail, one at a
time, on top of each other and creates by this way the whole detail. The main advantages of this
technology are that it can manufacture complex unstandardized details rapidly.

Concrete is a material that is made out of aggregates of stone and cement paste (a mixture of
cement and water). The cement hardens when it reacts with water and forms cement paste, which
acts as a binding agent for the aggregate of stone. Concrete is the most produced material in the
world due to its strength, durability, and relatively low cost. To change the characteristics of
concrete, chemical admixtures can be added to the mixture. There are numerous different
admixtures. To mention a few there are superplasticizers (reduce the amount of water needed by
12-30%), retarders (slows down the setting time of concrete), and accelerators (speed up the setting
time of concrete). The type of cement, water amount, and mixing time are important factors that
affect the admixtures’ performance.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

In Uganda, many people are doing the construction of buildings for different purposes, however,
much labor is needed in the construction, and several 10 -to 20 people are employed to lay concrete
depending on the size of the building under construction. Also in the process of laying concrete
much concrete is wasted making it expensive in construction and it takes much time in laying
concrete on the building.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This project aimed to design a concrete 3d printer. It will be motorized and powered by solar. It will
have a movable frame with wheels that shall have contact with the ground. The dimensions of the
frame will be such that it allows manufacturing of the 3d detail that is to be printed. This particular
3d printer will be focused on the manufacture of demo walls made out of concrete. Whether this
manufacturing technology seems appropriate in constructing these details will be discussed. Since
concrete is to be used, the need for as lightweight concrete as possible is preferable because of the
limitations of loads. Therefore research will be done on the material aspects of concrete to find as
lightweight concrete as possible.

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

To design a 3 d concrete printer

To design a screw-type nozzle for a 3d concrete printer

To design a system tank and pump

To a control system for a 3d concrete printer

JUSTIFICATION:

A concrete printer shall offer significant benefits to the companies, including Lower

materials consumption since wall structures can be topologically optimized and partially
hollow. Less waste, no need for large-scale concrete molds or formwork. Faster building
times when compared to laying bricks or concrete molding

METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the methodology of the thesis is presented. The chapter also describes the structure of
the report.
To design a 3 d concrete printer

Several criteria shall be taken into consideration during the design, as the machine, shall
account for both the fresh and the printed properties of the concrete.
The machine will be composed of three main components: the concrete
tank and pumping mechanism, the printing nozzle, and the motion control system.
The concrete starts its journey at the tank and is pumped to reach the nozzle, which is
responsible for pouring it.
The machine is designed to move on a tri-axial plane (x-y-z) to print a 3-
dimensional element.
To design a screw-type nozzle for a 3d concrete printer

Another critical element that has a high impact on the extruded concrete properties is the
nozzle. The nozzle diameter has a direct relationship with the concrete mix properties,
specifically its flowability. As the diameter size decreases, the flowability of the mix should
be increased to account for it and vice versa.
In addition, the nozzle shall have two trowels, aside, and a top trowel, which lags behind it.
The side trowel on the outer side shall function to straighten the concrete being poured as the
nozzle passes by. The top trowel shall serve to straighten the upper surface of the concrete
layer to ensure maximum buildability
Pump and tank design

The function of the pump is basically to transport the concrete paste from the tank to reach
the nozzle, where it is subsequently poured.
The pump to be used has to be able to handle the specified concrete mix, and account for
several aspects such as the maximum aggregate size and the water-cement ratio. Since no
pump (to this specific small scale) exists that can account for the concrete pouring
mechanism required, a “piston pump” was designed instead to carry out this purpose.
This pumping mechanism shall combine the syringe pressure methodology on one hand and
the concept of the cement screw pump on the other.
The pumping instrument will be designed to directly integrate with the tank as it functions
by pushing the concrete down by a force exerted on the piston.

a mobile tank will be designed, connected to the machine, and moves with it. At the bottom
of the tank will be a printing nozzle. The most critical element to be considered will be the
pressure exerted by the pump on the mix. This pressure can directly affect the speed at which
the concrete is being poured. The goal is to find an ideal association between the two.