Want to make headlines? After all of the news surrounding the 3D printed Canal House in the Netherlands, the concrete homes printed in 24 hours in China, or the Minnesotan printing his own home in his garage, you might consider printing a house. But you’ll need a house printer. Maybe you should try contacting these folks? Slovenian business BetAbram wants to be the first to sell 3D house printers themselves.
The company, with a retro-futuristic website only appropriate for a concrete house printer business, has built gantries for three different machines. Having already finished the software for their first and smallest unit, the P3 concrete printer, BetAbram plans to begin taking orders for the 2 x 3 x 4m (6.5′ x 10′ x 13′) machine in 78 days from this writing. Though the z-axes of all the machines are limited to 2m, the company assures the public that, once a floor is completed, the machines can be raised onto the next level and continue printing. The approximate price for this potentially wonderful printer is between €12,000 and €16,000 (~$16k to ~$22k).
BetAbram is still putting the finishing touches on their P2 and P1 machines, but have said that the P2 printer will measure 2 x 12 x 6m (6.5′ x 39′ x 19.5′) and will be sold for around €20,000 (~$27k) and the P1 will measure 2 x 16 x 9m (6.5′ x 52.5′ x 29.5′) and will be sold for around €32,000 (~$44k).
From the video below, it’s difficult to determine the progress they’ve made in terms of printing structures. Strange not to have photos of actual 3D printed houses on a site dedicated to selling 3D house printers, but maybe they’re hoping that an architecture or construction firm with disposable income will buy one regardless of the output, knowing that they’re paying for an experimental piece of technology in the first place. Hell, if I had a construction company with some dough to throw around, I’d buy one just see if I could get it working.
After the first purchase is made, hopefully we’ll be able to report back to you with some more news of 3D printed buildings. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll see a real 3D house printing race take place this year. And, soon enough, there will be whole contests dedicated to determining who can 3D print the best house!
Source: Wikisofts News
