• Cornell engineers pioneer 3D‑printed concrete underwater, reducing oceanic disruption. • DARPA’s call for deep‑water printing spurred rapid development of a seafloor‑sediment‑based mix. • New admixture prevents washout while preserving extrudability in continuous water exposure. • Shift from prototyping to production continues, yet AM technology still evolves rapidly. • Advanced extruder systems (ABB IRB 6650S) enable precise underwater deposition. • The breakthrough showcases additive manufacturing’s potential for sustainable, low‑impact construction.
Article Summaries:
- Additive manufacturing is rapidly evolving beyond prototyping into production‑ready applications, as highlighted by recent academic breakthroughs. Cornell University’s civil‑engineering team has developed a 3‑D‑printed concrete system that can deposit material several meters underwater, using a specially formulated admixture that resists washout while remaining extrudable. The system, built on an ABB IRB 6650S robot, will compete in a DARPA challenge to print submerged concrete arches. Meanwhile, Harvard researchers have introduced a rotational multi‑material printing technique that embeds pneumatic channels within polyurethane filaments, enabling soft robots with programmable shape‑morphing and actuation without molds. These advances illustrate the expanding scope of 3‑D printing in hard materials and soft robotics.
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