I DA U N I V E R S A L S e p te m b e r - O c to b e r 2 0 1 5
37
isn't some proof-of-concept,
either: when it's done, it will
be as strong as any other
bridge. People will be able
to walk back and forth over it
for decades.
That's the plan, anyway.
To make his dream a reality,
Laarman has created a new
research and development
company called MX3D, which
specializes in building six-axis
robots that can 3D print metal
and resin in mid-air. The
technology allows for large-
scale objects like infrastruc-
ture to be printed in the exact
spot where they'll live, which
has radical implications for
the construction industry and
opens up a wealth of new
design possibilities.
The project won't get
underway until September,
but renderings on the
company's website show the
robotic arms stretching out
past a complex and layered
bridge. Four of the arms will
be creating the steel bridge
using the tipped end that
produces a molten metal of
2,700 degrees. "I strongly
believe in the future of digital
production and local produc-
tion, in 'the new craft,'"
Laarman said. "This bridge
will show how 3D printing
fi nally enters the world of
large-scale, functional objects
and sustainable materials,
while allowing unprec-
edented freedom of form.
The symbolism of the bridge
is a beautiful metaphor to
connect the technology of
the future with the old city, in
a way that brings out the best
of both worlds." ●
www.equipmentworld.com
and www.grandbanksbp.com.
In 2014, MX3D
equipped an
industrial
robot with
an advanced
welding
machine and
developed
so ware to
control it.
