This robot may soon 3D print objects as large as 100 cubic meters

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Artis Engineering has created a robotic arm that will soon revolutionize architecture. 

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While 3D printers tend to be bound by available materials, build volume and nozzle size, one Germany company is looking to change all that. In fact, a team from Artis Engineering recently conceived an idea after toying around with the concept of 3D printing: Why not use a big robot to print out even bigger objects?

Already having a gigantic CNC machine in their possession, the team’s current KUKA Quantec arm boasts a build envelope of 150 cubic meters, a 7-axis system, as well as a tool changer on its “hand” that is capable of milling, sanding, polishing, hot wire cutting, and now, 3D printing. Using the industrial gadget, Artis Engineering believes one day it will even be able to construct 3D-printed objects as large as 100 cubic meters in size.

The robot is based on an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560) and RAMPS 1.4. On the software side, the team used Rhinoceros 5, Grasshopper, KUKA|prc to make this all possible. The nozzle is equipped with two 40w heat cartridges and pair of 100k resistors, while an LCD control panel is tasked with monitoring temperatures and speed settings. Simon Lullin of Artis Engineering tells 3DPrint.com that employing a E3D v6 modified nozzle allows the team to print at high speeds, with a 0.5mm, 1.0mm and 2.5mm nozzles avoiding jamming and other problems.

“Our next goal is to perfectly synchronize the robot movements with the extruder (mainly the speed), which will require a mountain of new hardware, since we are already to the limits in terms of ‘extensions’ quantity. This is the equivalent of adding an 8th axis to our robot. This will be done in the upcoming months,” Lullin adds.

Interested? Head over to Artis Engineering’s official page here, or watch it in action below!