- 2023 Update
Construction 3D printing technology is revolutionising the building construction industry and it has the potential to solve the world’s housing crisis. Construction 3D printing companies around the world are now embarking on new and ambitious projects to demonstrate 3D printing’s potential and position it as the future solution.
The traditional construction process is fraught with difficulties like logistics, availability of raw materials, polluting materials, high cost and long lead times. All these challenges have resulted in a scarcity of affordable housing in urban areas. The world is currently experiencing a ‘affordable housing’ crisis.
To address the crisis, an increasing number of businesses are exploring construction 3D printing technology as a potential solution. We see some of these top construction 3D printing companies around the world that are leading the world towards a sustainable future.
Those unfamiliar with construction 3D printing can check out our introductory articles on the construction 3D printing process and the construction 3D printing technologies.
Top Construction 3D Printing Companies
1. PERI Group
Founded in: 1969
Headquarters: Germany
Founders: Artur Schwörer and Christl Schwörer
About PERI Group
PERI Group is one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of formwork and scaffold systems in the world from Germany. In 2018, it entered the 3D printing construction market by purchasing COBOD’s BOD2 construction 3D printer. Since then, the PERI group has been at the forefront of technology and has expanded its collaboration with COBOD to become one of the leading 3D printing construction companies in the world.
It has firmly backed the construction 3D printing technology and has quickly risen to become one of the world’s leading construction 3D printing companies. They believe that construction 3D printing will revolutionize the construction industry because of its ability to accelerate the industrialization of the construction process. The desire to commercialize this technology stems from the goal of constructing a greater number of buildings in a shorter period of time at a lower cost.
By incorporating more intelligent designs and optimizing the use of materials, construction 3D printing can also pave the way for a more sustainable built environment.
Notable PERI Projects
Germany’s First 3D Printed House: PERI Group was instrumental in the construction of Germany’s first 3D printed house, which also served as Europe’s largest 3D printed apartment building.
Residential Building in the United States: PERI Group recently announced a partnership with Habitat for Humanity to build its first residential building in the United States in June 2021. The project was located in Tempe, Arizona, and it passed all regulatory approval processes with flying colours.
2. WASP
Founded in: 2012
Headquarters: Italy
Founders: Francesca Moretti, Massimo Moretti, Nicola Schiavarelli
About WASP
WASP, or World’s Advanced Saving Project, is a company that designs and sells 3D printers made in Italy. It is one of the world’s top concrete 3D printing companies. The company was founded on an over-arching theme combining House, Art and Culture, Energy, Digital Fabrication, Health, and Food, which it represents through its concrete projects using 3D Printers.
WASP’s goal is to build ‘zero-mile’ homes, which are sustainable homes made from locally available materials, with portable machines that use little energy. As a result, the ability to use renewable energies such as sun, wind, and water is emphasized.
WASP’s distinct approach is reflected in their equally distinctive projects.
Notable WASP Project
TECLA: TECLA is an eco-sustainable 3D printed habitat project that derives its name from the words “technology” and “clay.” It was constructed with natural materials sourced from local soil, is carbon-neutral, and adaptable to any climate or context. For the project, multiple Crane WASP 3D printers were used at the same time.
Sculptural Walls in Dubai: WASP 3D printed sculptural walls for a Dubai flagship store. The wall was designed with parametric shapes. It was used to create sets and scenographies because it allows for the creation of unique decorative shapes.
3. APIS Cor
Founded in: 2014
Headquarters: United States of America
Founders: Nikita Cheniuntai
About APIS Cor
Apis Cor develops construction 3D printing solutions that allow for the construction of an entire house in any location within 24 hours. Their goal is to completely automate the 3D printing process so that their machines can print buildings on Earth and beyond.
The Apis Cor construction 3D printing solution includes a mobile 3D printer that can be set up in 30 minutes and a “mobile automated mix and supply unit.” The printer has a total area of 132 m² and uses mixed concrete to build walls layer by layer. Its stabilization system allows it to be installed on almost any surface with a difference in elevation of less than 10 cm.
Notable APIS Cor Projects
3D Printed House in 24 Hours: Apis Cor made headlines when it built a full-scale 3D printed house in 24 hours. This feat was accomplished in Russia in 2017. To adapt to the harsh weather conditions, Apis Cor used “dry insulating material on one side of the house and polyurethane filler composition on the other.”
Dubai Municipality: Apis Cor in Dubai Municipality holds the record for the world’s largest 3D printed building to date, standing 9.5 meters tall and covering an area of 640 square meters. It set this record when it 3D printed the wall structures of a two-story administrative building for the Dubai Municipality.
4. XtreeE
Founded in: 2015
Headquarters: France
Founders: Philippe Morel (XtreeE Initiator), Jean-Daniel KUHN, Alain Guillen, and Romain Duballet (Operational Founders)
About XtreeE
The French start-up XtreeE, was founded in 2015 and it offers two services: 1. collaboration with customers to design and construct projects, and 2. renting their construction 3D printing systems.
This unique business model saw them collaborate with a variety of partners to establish a strong global network of printers for their global production units. Their goal is to expand this network to include more than 50 concrete 3D printers by 2025.
XtreeE now presents itself as a digital platform that provides ‘XtreeE Printing as a Service’. The platform introduces prospective customers to a large community of engineers, designers, architects, and XtreeE printing technology.
Notable XtreeE Projects
Concrete 3D printed walls for a pavilion in Dubai: Constructed concrete 3D printed walls for a pavilion in Dubai. The 100-square-meter pavilion was printed in sections and assembled on-site.
Olympic Games 2024: XtreeE will build a 40-meter pedestrian bridge in Aubervilliers, France, with a deck entirely made of 3D-printed structural concrete. This is in anticipation of the upcoming Olympic Games in France in 2024.
5. ICON
Founded in: 2018
Headquarters: United States of America
Founders: Jason Ballard, Alex Le Roux, And Evan Loomis
About ICON
ICON is a Texas-based developer of cutting-edge construction technologies that use 3D printing robotics, software, and advanced materials to advance humanity. They address three major issues in the construction industry: affordability, sustainability, and availability.
ICON was the first American company to be granted permission to build a 3D printed house in Austin, Texas. Banking on the success of their initial few projects and proving the concept, the company raised hundreds of millions of dollars in investment financing to develop their construction 3D printing technology.
The Vulcan construction 3D printer from ICON is specifically designed to produce resilient single-story buildings more quickly, affordably, and with greater design freedom. It has a printing capacity of about 2,000 square feet. It has an adjustable width (to accommodate different slab sizes) and is transported in a custom trailer without the need for assembly.
The entire construction is powered by the ICON platform, which includes a tablet-controlled robotic printer, an integrated material delivery system, and a revolutionary cement-based material for building homes.
Notable ICON Projects
Camp Swift Barracks: The Texas Military Department collaborated with ICON to design and 3D print an innovative, energy-efficient training barracks at the Camp Swift Training Center in Bastrop, Texas. The 3,800 sq.-ft. building, the largest 3D-printed structure in North America, is designed to house up to 72 soldiers or airmen at their primary facility while they train for missions in Texas or overseas.
The Chicon House: The Chicon House was the first permitted, 3D printed house in the United States. It is a 350 sq ft home that was printed in about 47 hours over several days using the first-generation Vulcan printer. The house has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a kitchen that is surrounded by a large covered porch.
Conclusion
3D concrete printing companies are rapidly growing across the globe and the sector is seeing a surge in new Startups in this sector. You can find out how they have developed construction 3D printing technologies, sustainable materials and have completed multiple projects.
India is also seeing a boom in the number of construction 3D printing companies and the entire ecosystem is now developing with Startups developing the 3D printers, and offering services, materials companies like Sika and more offering quality materials, and legacy construction companies like Larsen & Toubro and Godrej partnering and investing in the technology. India is a market to watch out for.
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