IIT-MADRAS INVENTS INDIA'S FIRST 3D PRINTING CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY

The digital revolution has taken India by storm. One of the highlights of the revolution is the invention of 3D printing and additive manufacturing.

According to a Wikipedia description, “3D printing is any of (the) various processes in which material is joined or solidified under computer control to create a three-dimensional object, with material being added together (such as liquid molecules or powder grains being fused together).”

While 3D printing has made its presence known in the fields of aerospace, medicine and automobiles, it is in the area of architecture that 3D printing acquires most significance.

To make the construction of houses quicker and cheaper, students and faculty members at IIT-Madras have come up with India’s first 3D printing construction technology, which they believe can build a house of 350 square feet in less than a week, at a cost cheaper than conventional methods.

“Usually, a concrete layer will take minimum 28 days to 30 days for curing. But, in our innovative technology, the concrete will set in 3-5 hours,” said Vidyashankar C, co-founder of Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions, a start-up which has developed this technology.

The 3D printing technology also entails quicker completion with fewer resources deployed or wasted. Automation and computerisation of construction and development would not merely entail greater efficiency and precision, but better safety standards as well.

One can construct objects of all shapes and sizes made of concrete. Depending on the designs uploaded to a computer, the printer will develop and mould that form in concrete. “3D printing of concrete gives (a) new dimension to construction. This technology can best the complex demands of modern architecture with concrete,” said Professor Manu Santhanam of the civil engineering department (IIT-Madras).

*Originally published in Deccan Chronicle*