2015 has seen a fair number of construction-related 3D printing stories make headlines, including Chinese firms 3D printing and assembling whole buildings and Tennessee’s Branch Technology developing a unique commercial endeavor for 3D printing only the walls themselves. Central and Eastern Europe are no strangers to the trend, either, as Slovenia’s BetAbram has demonstrated and, now, 3D Print Expo Moscow will be showcasing a new construction-focused 3D printer from a Russian company called Specavia.
While Specavia previously worked on refurbishing Russian airports, the company began building CNC plasma cutters in 2014. In 2015, the firm started work on its own line of house printers, which they will begin selling, once they can overcome the lack of legislative framework relating to the technology. The company may have gone under the radar for some time, but Specavia has already produced five models of concrete 3D printers, one of which will be on display at the 3D Print Expo Moscow.
The S-1160 (above) is the company’s largest machine, with a price of 2.45 million rubles (about $37,737.60 USD) and a print volume of 10 x 11 x 2.7 meters (roughly 33′ x 36′ x 9′), certainly large enough to go on Davide’s list of large-scale 3D printers. Specavia’s other machines run all the way down to their smallest, the S-4063, which has a build area of 3.5 x 5.2 x 1 meter (about 11.5′ x 17′ x 3.3′), which has a price tag of 720 thousand rubles, or $11,089 USD.
With any of the machines, from gigantic to only moderately huge, the company has demonstrated the ability to 3D print a number of concrete structures, including benches, tables, architectural elements, and, even, a small castle designed, and previously printed, by engineer Andrey Rudenko.
What may be most unique about Specavia, in addition to their large, proven range of 3D printers, is their implementation of modern construction components into their 3D printed elements. The company has not only added aesthetic materials to their printed concrete, like stone and wood, but they’ve also included structural components, such as plumbing and concrete reinforcement. They have also 3D printed a concrete/fiberglass composite, though only on a small scale.
Speaking with Platt Boyd of Branch Technology, I learned that gantry-style concrete printers may not be the most efficient at taking advantage of 3D printing in the construction process, but it does seem to be the most heavily pursued by a number of firms around the world. So far, it seems as though Specavia is a stand out, alongside China’s WinSun and ZhuoDa Group, in concrete 3D printing. Not only will attendees of 3D Print Expo Moscow be impressed, but I’m sure that Specavia will impress the whole world.
