Experts say that builders should take notice of how they may be able to put 3D printing technology to use—both now and in the future. According to Gartner Inc., an information technology research and advisory company that’s based in Stamford, Conn., 3D printer shipments are expected to reach nearly half a million units in 2016—an increase of 103 percent over the prior year. Even Home Depot offers off-the-shelf models.
Forward-thinking builders like Shea Homes are putting 3D printing technology to use in many ways. In addition to creating 3D models on a small scale, builders use 3D printers to produce moldings and trim that otherwise may cost hundreds of dollars to have hand carved or machined. Chinese firm WinSun uses a cement-based filament to “print” houses up to 20 feet tall in less than 24 hours.
Blaine Brownell, associate professor and Director of the Master of Architecture Program at University of Minnesota, says the scales at which 3D printers are producing is growing rapidly. At the present, he says that perhaps the only thing holding them out of mainstream housing includes the ability of large-scale printers to incorporate a variety of materials. “I think that it’s more likely that technology will influence the materials we use [in building going forward], rather than the other way around,” he concludes.
User-friendly models include MakerBot’s Replicator (shown) and the Dremel Idea Builder.
