Technical description
The current version of the D-Shape 3-D printer sits in a 6m by 6m aluminum frame. The frame consists of a square base that moves upwards along four vertical beams during the printing process via stepper motors, which are used to repeatedly move a specified length and then hold in place, on each beam. Spanning the entire horizontal 6m of the base is a printer head with 300 nozzles, each spaced 20mm apart. The printer head is connected to the base by an aluminum beam that runs perpendicular to the printer head.Process
Before the actual printing process can begin, a 3-D model of the object to be printed must be created on CAD, a software that allows a designer to create 3-D models on a computer. Once the model is finished, the CAD file is sent to the printer head. The printing process begins when a layer of sand from 5 to 10 mm thick, mixed with solid magnesium oxide (MgO), is evenly distributed by the printer head in the area enclosed by the frame. The printer head breaks the 3-D model into 2-D slices. Then, starting with the bottom slice, the head moves across the base and deposits an inorganic binding liquid made up of a solution that includes magnesium chloride, at a resolution of . The binder and sand chemically react to form a sandstone material. It takes about 24 hours for the material to completely solidify. The material is resembling by composition theAwards and achievements
NYC Waterfront Construction Competition
In the fall of 2012, D-Shape entered into the NYC Waterfront Construction Competition hosted by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) in which competitors had to create an innovative solution to help strengthen New York City's deteriorating piers and coastline structures. D-Shape's idea, called, "Digital Concrete," was to take 3-D scans of each piece of pier or infrastructure, and then print a support jacket for each specific piece. D-Shape was the First Place Winner and received $50,000 for the idea, which is estimated to save New York City $2.9 billion.Radiolaria
D-Shape successfully created the tallest printed sculpture, Radiolaria, in 2009. Radiolaria, a sculpture created by Italian architect Andrea Morgante and inspired by radiolarians, unicellular organisms with intricate mineral skeletons, shows off D-Shape's ability to print large freeform structures. The current version of the sculpture is only a 3 x 3 x 3m scale model of the full-size Radiolaria that is planned to be put in a roundabout in Pontedera, Italy.Future of D-Shape
Currently, Jake Wake-Walker and Marc Webb are working on a documentary, titled ''The Man Who Prints Houses'', about Enrico Dini and his invention. Although D-Shape has garnered attention for its printing abilities, it is still a work in progress. While it has gotten close to printing an actual house by printing a trullo, which is a small, stone hut, the printer still needs to be modified in order to make Dini's dreams of printing larger and more complex buildings a reality.Lunar bases
Because of D-Shape's capabilities, the European Space Agency (ESA) has taken interest in using the printer to build moon bases. The ESA is interested in using D-Shape to build moon bases out of lunar regolith, otherwise known as moon dust, because the 3-D printer can build the base onsite without human intervention. This is advantageous because only the machine would have to be taken to the moon, thus reducing the cost of bringing building materials to the lunar surface to create the bases. D-Shape has been successful in printing components for the lunar bases with a simulated moon dust, and has also been subject to tests that aim to see how the printer will work in the environment on the moon.References
{{ReflistExternal links
* Discovery Channel Covering D-Shape https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYaRUVTwIV