The vision of Massimo Moretti, founder of WASP, the second largest manufacturer of FFF 3D printers in Italy, is beginning to take shape. The shape is that of a 6 metre tall Delta 3D printer, capable of building simple housing units in clay. At Maker Faire Rome this coming weekend, visitors will be able to observe a slightly smaller sized version — at 4 meters, however it is still a giant compared with what has been achieved so far in this field.
Although for many – and perhaps even for Moretti himself – his is a utopian vision. WASP’s results are right before our eyes. In 2013, they triumphed at the 3D Printshow in London with the Green Award but, even more importantly, the continues business to grow. Moretti and his team produce and sell desktop 3D printers, Cartesian and Delta, to finance the dream to create one 3D printer that could solve the housing problems of the world but the reality is that, utopia or not, the company works and grows, driven by the enthusiasm of those who belong and then participate in the virtuous revolution of 3D printing.
Yet there is more, given that even the design of the 3D printer for homes begins to run on its own legs. “We have a big goal, and we work every day, step by step, to reach it – Moretti said in a statement. This road allows us to find new outlets. We have created the first marketable extruder for clay, ceramic and porcelain, to give the possibility to produce objects that have a function and a market value. Printing in clay provide many people new ways to self-production of pieces that are real, practical to use and commercially viable. The work and progress are the cornerstones of our thinking.”
The dream of creating a 3D printer capable of building houses is shared by many around the world and takes on different faces. There is Dini’s dream, to create complex concrete structures with his D-Shape (more similar to ZCorporation’s Inkjet Powder Printing process in its approach); and DUS Architect’s project to create a plastic house in Amsterdam with they giant KamerMaker 3D printer. There are those of makers Hans Fouche in South Africa and Andrey Rudenko, with his “garden castle”, in the USA. Then there are Chinese companies aiming to use giant 3D printers for mass housing. Yet Moretti’s project seems to be the most practical, marketable and sustainable, at least to me. Perhaps it is a utopia but what will be on display at the upcoming Maker Faire is very real.
