Texas-based ICON has been making headlines lately with stories about the Moon, Mars and even Vulcan.
Now, the 3D printing company is unveiling a cutting-edge machine called Phoenix that can build a 27-foot-tall, two-story building using cleaner materials, from the foundation to the roof components. Even better, the giant arm-like machine improves speed and setup time, and requires fewer operators, according to Interesting Engineering.
“What we once thought was impossible is now being prototyped in the field and printing the first full-scale structures,” Evan Jensen, vice president of strategic research and development, said in the video clip, calling Phoenix “a more advanced, more versatile system.”
Phoenix is a single arm mounted on a rotating platform, with a high-tech unit at its working end that can extend to pipe out construction “ink” – a high-strength mixture that reduces carbon emissions by 24%.
Guided by artificial intelligence architects, Phoenix is building on ICON’s work on Vulcan — no, not Spock’s home planet. ICON’s larger, 46-foot-wide facility can “print” single-story homes in large numbers. CNN reports that Phoenix has helped ICON and its partners launch an entire 3D community in Texas.
The company’s 3D technology is currently being used by NASA to develop a lunar construction system that may one day be used on Mars.
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As part of Austin’s latest news, IE reported that a Phoenix-constructed building is on display. From above, the rounded perimeter looks like the outline of a coffee stain. 3D-constructed buildings often have a modern or futuristic design. From the side, you can see the layers of concrete that were individually sprayed to form the walls.
The field is brimming with innovations that could revolutionize the homebuilding industry, with some 3D companies able to complete the job in a matter of days, and some even recycling plastic waste as part of their construction.
The goal is to quickly provide sustainable, high-quality housing, and inventions in this field could help clean up the sector if we can continue to incorporate recycling and more efficient processes into construction.
According to the American Institute of Architects, about 40% of the air pollution that contributes to global warming in the United States comes from construction work and everyday heating, cooling, and lighting in buildings. But you don’t have to order a new 3D home to reduce your energy bills and pollution. Simple weatherization updates, like improved insulation, can save you hundreds of dollars a year in energy costs while also reducing harmful air pollution.
With Phoenix, ICON plans to cut its printing costs in half. According to the company’s website, wall systems can be built for $25 per square foot, or $80 including the foundation and roof. Angi reports that the average cost of building a home in the U.S. is $150 per square foot. That estimate includes interior and exterior finishes.
We’ll likely see more and more communities using 3D printers to build homes in Phoenix, Vulcan, and elsewhere in the future: ICON has 3D printed more than 140 homes in the U.S. and Mexico since 2018, according to IE and the company.
“Addressing the global housing crisis requires something radical and courageous. Construction-scale 3D printing is not only designed to deliver high-quality housing faster and more affordable, but swarms of printers are designed to transform the way entire communities build for the better,” ICON co-founder Jason Ballard said on the company’s website.
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