Printing on spatial printers, or 3D - once only the prototype zone, and today a technology that has found many applications. And it enables printing in small plants and even at home.
Printing industrial elements, toys, sports equipment, prostheses and tissues is now the present. During the pandemic, 3D printing was also tested as a way to fill the gaps created by the shortage of medical supplies.
In housing construction, it also did not take long to see the effects of trials with 3D printing. Inhabitants of printed houses (or elements used for construction) successfully use their premises in many places around the world, including Poland.
And so we are in July 2021, where we have reached the point when the world's first steel bridge printed in 3D technology was put into use. In Amsterdam, because it was placed there, the first passers-by and cyclists can walk around the futuristic structure, which was officially opened by the Queen of the Netherlands, Maxima.
Opening of the world's first 3D-printed steel bridge
For safety, the almost 5-ton bridge has been equipped with a number of sensors that monitor movement, vibration and temperature. The data collected from the sensors is fed into a 'digital twin bridge' - a virtual project - which helps scientists monitor the structure and collects valuable traffic and communication data at the site.
Photo: MX3D
Photo: MX3D
The Dutch company MX3D was responsible for the design and execution of the structure.
The first attempts to transfer 3D-printed structures, ready for use by a mass number of users (pedestrian and bicycle bridges in the center of large cities), allow specialists to gradually increase the scale of projects and very optimistic estimates for the future. The sky is the limit!
It is worth recalling here that Miastoprojekt also contributes to the development of 3D printing technology. In 2015-2017, we acted as a Contract Engineer in the construction of the largest 3D printing factory in Europe for Materialize S.A., which was established near Wrocław. The technology used by Materialize is mainly used in the automotive, manufacturing and medical industries.