Have you ever wondered just how gigantic an industrial 3D printer can scale? Engineers at the University of Maine have created a custom large-format printer that dwarfs even construction equipment in size. Spanning over 100 feet long, it stands as the current record holder for the world’s biggest 3D printer. This expansive machine serves as a research platform for additive manufacturing breakthroughs using sustainable materials. Read on as we explore UMaine’s pioneering extra-large printer in more detail.
Technical Specifications: A Custom-Built Giant
Let’s break down key technical specs that make this printer a standout:
Maximum Build Size: At over 100 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 10 feet tall, constructs of virtually any scale are possible. It can fabricate items larger than semi-trucks, small houses, and other structures that typically require on-site assembly.
| Spec | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Print Bed Length | >100 ft |
| Print Bed Width | 22 ft |
| Max Print Height | 10 ft |
Precision: Even at this mega-scale, precision remains impressive at tolerances within 6,000ths of an inch (For context, a human hair averages 17 thousandths of an inch).
Cost: Developing a custom large-format printer required over 20 years and $2.5 million in cumulative R&D investments.
Speed: The print head deposits material at a rate over 500 lbs per hour, enabling rapid constructions like 3Dirigo‘s 72 hours build.
With every component customized and scaled up including motors, drive belts, and the steel frame, UMaine‘s printer proves large-format additive is possible.
Interview with the Creators
To learn more this one-of-a-kind build, I interviewed Dr. Habib Dagher, executive director of UMaine‘s Advanced Structures and Composites Center. Below are excerpts highlighting the developmental insights behind creating the world‘s biggest 3D printer:
"After nearly 20 years evolving large-scale 3D printing, we asked ourselves – why not keep going bigger? We wanted to shift perspective on what‘s possible for additive manufacturing as the benefits like rapid assemblies are clear. If we could print structural buildings, boats, and vehicles straight from digital files, construction would transform overnight."
"The technical hurdles of scaling to over 100 ft did require entirely custom parts down to motors and belts. But through collaborations with our industry partners, we built each component from the ground up one by one. We had to pioneer brand new methods of extruding and building with wood composite filaments in roads never traveled."
"Now that the printer is operational, our goal is researching construction-scale materials and applications like disaster relief shelters. By sharing the platforms and techniques we developed along the way, we hope to catalyze others to push additive manufacturing into new realms."
I appreciated Dr. Habib‘s perspective on leveraging ambitious custom infrastructure investments to fundamentally expand 3D printing capabilities. Next let‘s explore the composite materials and sample builds demonstrating this potential.
Wood Composites Rivaling Metal
While most industrial printers extrude plastic or metal, UMaine‘s giant leverages a totally unique filament made from Maine tree wood fibers. Their custom composite rivals steel components in strength and stiffness while remaining sustainably sourced and recyclable. This offers new possibilities for large-scale digital fabrication.
The filament contains approximately 50% wood fibers suspended in a polymer resin. It is created by pulping and drying timber residue before blending with resins and extruding into printing filament.
Material Properties:
- Tensile Strength: Reaches over 5,000 psi, competitive with low carbon steels
- Stiffness (Modulus): Around 1.4 million psi, only slightly below steel
- Density: Ranges from 35 to 45 lb/ft3 making it substantially lighter than metal
So how do these wood composites perform in full-scale printed builds?
Printing a 25 Foot Vessel in 3 Days
To demonstrate capabilities, the researchers additively manufactured an entire functional 25-foot boat named 3Dirgio in just 72 hours back in 2019. This hands-free process included printing the full hull, deck, and cabin representing 5,000 lbs of the wood composite material.
Fitted with an engine, the 3Dirgio boat passed stability and other seaworthiness tests thanks to its rigid integrated shell. After 200 hours of voyaging, it still performed remarkably well structurally. No fatigue cracking or even leaks occurred during its maiden voyages.
This rapid boat printing served as a proof point for leveraging large-scale additive manufacturing methods with wood polymer composites. But even more groundbreaking applications are now being explored.
Shelters, Bridges, and Buildings Next?
Additive construction would allow rapidly developing emergency shelters, temporary housing, or modular buildings as needs arise. After refining techniques with the boat demonstrations, UMaine researchers began exploring these applications.
Disaster Relief Shelters: One early concept involved modeling a printed basic shelter designed to house displaced citizens. The fabrication process could be deployed nearly anywhere with a mobile large-format printer transported onsite. Assembly of shelters for entire communities could conceivably take just days.
Pedestrian Bridges: Spanning obstacles like streams, highways, or ravines with 3D printed pedestrian walkways is another area being investigated. Small bridge components have already been printed, paving the way for larger integrated structures. Prescient‘s work on advanced concrete 3D printing hints at this future.
Concept Buildings: We may remain decades away from fully 3D printing multi-story buildings as code approvals, concrete curing times, and exoskeleton framing present hurdles. But additive techniques could soon be adopted for decorative facades, overhangs, quick additions, or small accessory structures.
The early results across boats, shelters, bridges, and buildings provide a glimpse into potentials on the horizon. As large-format additive matures, such digital fabrication may transform construction.
Conclusion: Pushing Boundaries with Custom Infrastructure
What began 20 years ago as a curiosity has developed into a record-setting 3D printing feat. UMaine‘s custom over 100-foot system hints at the future of digital manufacturing while showcasing innovative wood composite materials. Their visionary build is expanding perspectives on what‘s possible across boatbuilding, architecture, and construction industries.
Additive progress historically inches along slowly before a tipping point hits spurring exponential scaling effects. UMaine‘s dedication makes them pioneers exploring uncharted large-format territory. And by open-sourcing techniques and encouraging new research branches, they hope to advance sustainable 3D printing applications across many fields.
Could rapid on-demand digital fabrication using eco-friendly materials one day assemble personalized shelters, vehicles, bridges, and buildings in mere days? If UMaine‘s printer is any indicator, this future may arrive sooner than we think.
