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![]() by Staff Writers London, UK (SPX) Sep 22, 2022
The technology, which has been tested in the lab, could ultimately be used for manufacturing and building in difficult-to-access or dangerous locations such as tall buildings or help with post-disaster relief construction, say the researchers. 3D printing is gaining momentum in the construction industry. Both on-site and in the factory, static and mobile robots print materials for use in construction projects, such as steel and concrete structures. This new approach to 3D printing - led in its development by Imperial and Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories of Materials Science and Technology - uses flying robots, known as drones, that use collective building methods inspired by natural builders like bees and wasps who work together to create large, intricate structures. The drones in the fleet, known collectively as Aerial Additive Manufacturing (Aerial-AM), work co-operatively from a single blueprint, adapting their techniques as they go. They are fully autonomous while flying but are monitored by a human controller who checks progress and intervenes if necessary, based on the information provided by the drones. Lead author Professor Kovac, of Imperial's Department of Aeronautics and Empa's Materials and Technology Center of Robotics said: "We've proved that drones can work autonomously and in tandem to construct and repair buildings, at least in the lab. Our solution is scalable and could help us to construct and repair building in difficult-to-reach areas in the future."
Printing 3D geometries To test the concept, the researchers developed four bespoke cementitious mixtures for the drones to build with. Throughout the build, the drones assessed the printed geometry in real time and adapted their behaviour to ensure they met the build specifications, with manufacturing accuracy of five millimetres. The proof-of-concept prints included a 2.05-metre high cylinder (72 layers) with a polyurethane-based foam material, and an 18-centimetre high cylinder (28 layers) with a custom-designed structural cementitious material. The technology offers future possibilities for building and repairing structures in tall or other hard-to-access locations. Next, the researchers will work with construction companies to validate the solutions and provide repair and manufacturing capabilities. Professor Kovac said: "We believe our fleet of drones could help reduce the costs and risks of construction in the future, compared to traditional manual methods."
Research Report:Aerial Additive Manufacturing with Multiple Autonomous Robots
![]() ![]() Porosity in metals additively manufactured by laser powder bed fusion Shenzhen, China (SPX) Sep 12, 2022 Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, also known as 3D printing, is a rising star in the field of manufacturing technology. AM technologies are renowned for lifting the geometric constraints of design and fabricating products directly from digital models. Materials are "added" up during AM processing, making it the distinguishing feature that opposed to traditional subtractive and formative manufacturing. Various materials including metals, intermetallics, polymers, ceramics, and composites, c ... read more
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