Winsun Technologies has already achieved incredible feats, starting with the printing 10 houses with a cost of around $5,000 dollars each in March, 2014. That was pretty incredible. Now, thanks to a 3ders exclusive, we have word that they have printed a 5-storey residential complex next to a 1,100 sq. meter, 3D printed villa, complete with interior decorations.
Take a look at these 3D printed buildings, made using a combination of cement, glass fiber, and construction waste. This, WinSun’s CEO, Ma Yi He suggests reduces carbon emissions from recycling construction materials.
WinSun – which has been around for 12 years and has 98 patents for construction materials – 3D printed this villa for a Taiwanese real estate company calledTomson Group. Now, WinSun has 10 orders to fill for these villas, which cost about $160,000 to build. This little bit of news is not to be underestimated. A construction scale 3D printer that builds houses and has over a million dollars in orders to fill is as big as the news of the villa and residential complex itself.
The company’s printer is 6.6 meters high, 10 meters wide, and 150 meters long and, according to the company, allows for 10 times the efficiency as traditional construction, as well as a potential 30-70% reduction in energy consumption. So far, there are no pictures of this printer anywhere; I suppose they might not want to show it for fear of reverse engineering.
To be clear, these are 3D printed structures, but the villa wasn’t fabricated in one, single print by a giant 3D printer. In fact, the house was printed in parts, carried away to a construction site by conventional transport, and, with very conventional construction equipment and techniques, put together. There are no time-lapse videos and there are no photos of the giant 3D printer in action.
Apparently, WinSun held a “global 3D printing construction conference” to disclose the news of their achievement. They also announced that they have plans to bring their technology to 20 countries around the globe by forming a joint venture with an investment company; they are partnering with Nile Sand Material Technology Co. LTD.to build 12 unique “dream-factories” from sand; and they are partnering with China Railway 24th Bureau Group, to continue researching and developing new tools and technologies for these “dream-factories.” So, if I find a “Made In China” insignia on my dreams, when I wake up, I will order a freshly 3D printed asylum from WinSun and commit myself.
