One of the top global brands in concrete pumping is applying precision mix delivery to the emerging practice of 3D printing. Putzmeister America Inc. presents Karlos 3D as a mobile machine with mix or mortar-placing robotics to reduce set-up times typical of truss-type assemblies erected on building or home footprint perimeters in 3D field printing operations. With an 85-ft. reach, the Karlos Mobile 3D Printer can place mixes bearing up to 3/8-in. aggregate. The machine is adapted from the manufacturer’s five-section, 47-meter concrete boom pump, netting a 26-meter mobile concrete printer.
A new Putzmeister spinoff, Karlos 3D, recently teamed with Virginia-based cement, aggregate, ready mixed and block producer Titan America to design a mix whose rheology and strength development characteristics suit the Karlos Mobile 3D Printer. Mortar/ink test results led to the producer hosting a printing demonstration at its Pompano Beach, Fla. ready mixed plant.
STREAMLINED PASTE
By engineering the Karlos 3D Mobile Printer for mixes bearing larger aggregate than normally found in printed mortars or inks, Putzmeister helps users lower paste requirements and carbon factors tied to portland cement content. As the Titan America Pompano Beach demonstration proved, contractors or 3D concrete printing specialists stand to realize significant cost savings with a mobile machine that can place material available from most ready mixed concrete plants in lieu of mortar or ink more often produced on site with super sacks and portable mixers or mortar silos.
“The principle behind the Karlos 3D Mobile Printer is simple. Just like a conventional 3D printer under roof, it creates three-dimensional concrete structures layer by layer,” Putzmeister notes. “This method allows us to realize a planned building model more precisely and efficiently than would be possible with conventional methods. Using state-of-the-art BIM planning software, the contour to be printed is digitized and printed by the machine with millimeter precision. The operator becomes the conductor of one of the largest construction site robots. Karlos 3D significantly increases construction productivity and ensures that projects are completed quickly, reliably and cost-effectively.”
“This seamless transition from the digital design phase to physical implementation enables unprecedented accuracy and efficiency in the construction process,” the manufacturer adds. “This means that not only the physical structure, but also all relevant data is captured and integrated digitally. This creates a digital twin of the building under construction, which is continuously updated with real-time data.”
Putzmeister underscores the sustainability attributes of its mortar/ink printing technology, topped by Karlos 3D’s fully electric operation. Precise digital planning and implementation increase material efficiency and minimize waste generation. Hence, only the material that is actually needed is used while builders or contractors realize logistics cost and site time savings. “Karlos 3D creates geospatial and project management data and is a platform for collaborative savings and productivity gains as its digitally native nature can easily work together with rebar, windows, and other operations/trades to create a predictable project schedule,” the manufacturer concludes. — Putzmeister America Inc., Sturtevant, Wis., www.karlos-3d.com
The Karlos 3D Mobile Printer revolutionizes the construction process with precision and efficiency, Putzmeister notes, while also creating a bridge between the digital and physical worlds in the construction industry. The machine premiers with 7- to 12-in. nozzles printing solid fill walls and targeted throughput upward of 8 yd./hour.