It sounds like a headline from the future: the weekend before Thanksgiving, a bulldozer came for the first example of a printed home that was supposed to help the housing crisis in the city of Musc…
It’s easier to ship material than finished chunks.
You can print all the shapes you need from one batch of material instead of having to fabricate and ship the correct modules.
But then you need to do significant construction with that material. And it’s not just one material: there are pipes, electrical, insulation, flooring, etc. It’s only replacing a few admittedly major parts of the material. Everything else still takes tons of labor. I could be wrong, but I’m not convinced the labor savings are greater compared to modular housing.
That’s one top reason some are doing this. Experiment and try to find or develop a profitable business segment. There’s very rarely a ready market for any new process.
You’re probably right, right now.
But I am put in mind of ya boi Ben Franklin when asked “What use is [a prototype hot air balloon]”
He replied “What is the use of a newborn child?”
Early plastic 3d printers were clunky and of poor quality, but now entire industries have spawned around them and they have revolutionised at-home prototyping.
Right now, this is a gimmick. But the potential, if nurtured is pretty serious, imo.
Yeah, I suppose I’m questioning even the potential. Some technologies don’t pan out, which is why we’re not all riding around on our Segways. Underestimating future technology is certainly one risk, but the other risk is assuming every technology is inevitable progress.
You’re completely right. The framing, which is what this 3D printing replaces, is one of the fastest parts of home construction.
The site preparation, utilities, and interior finishing work are what take the longest. Modular homes can significantly speed up all of those components.
It’s easier to ship material than finished chunks. You can print all the shapes you need from one batch of material instead of having to fabricate and ship the correct modules.
But then you need to do significant construction with that material. And it’s not just one material: there are pipes, electrical, insulation, flooring, etc. It’s only replacing a few admittedly major parts of the material. Everything else still takes tons of labor. I could be wrong, but I’m not convinced the labor savings are greater compared to modular housing.
How much do you know about the costs for standard construction vs printed construction?
Given how new this is, I doubt anyone knows how much this will cost at scale, even the manufacturers.
That’s one top reason some are doing this. Experiment and try to find or develop a profitable business segment. There’s very rarely a ready market for any new process.
You’re probably right, right now. But I am put in mind of ya boi Ben Franklin when asked “What use is [a prototype hot air balloon]” He replied “What is the use of a newborn child?”
Early plastic 3d printers were clunky and of poor quality, but now entire industries have spawned around them and they have revolutionised at-home prototyping.
Right now, this is a gimmick. But the potential, if nurtured is pretty serious, imo.
Yeah, I suppose I’m questioning even the potential. Some technologies don’t pan out, which is why we’re not all riding around on our Segways. Underestimating future technology is certainly one risk, but the other risk is assuming every technology is inevitable progress.
You’re completely right. The framing, which is what this 3D printing replaces, is one of the fastest parts of home construction.
The site preparation, utilities, and interior finishing work are what take the longest. Modular homes can significantly speed up all of those components.