Progress Group Innovates in Giant-Format Binder Jet 3D Printed Building – 3DPrint.com

June 18, 2025

2

There was lots of hype in 3D printed development, however there was little or no innovation. Enrico Dini developed a binder-based course of, Contour Crafting did type of a shaping extrusion course of, and there was work in resins, however primarily individuals are extruding concrete. The principle technological factor of most 3D printed development techniques is a concrete pump, which is obtained from industrial distributors and married to a gantry, or a robotic and nozzle. Precast concrete leaders Progress Group, nonetheless, are doing one thing very attention-grabbing certainly.

Progress is an Italian firm with round $300 million in income. it makes software program, machines, and whole factories particularly for precast concrete. The corporate began out making giant concrete slabs for low-cost development, however now has a product portfolio spanning MES software program, equipment, and built-in choices with subsidiaries in 9 nations. For those who want a carousel-like plant or one on an extended mattress, they have you ever lined.

Now, the corporate has launched the SPI course of—a know-how it has developed particularly for large-format 3D printing. SPI (Selective Paste Intrusion) was developed in Germany, within the city of Brixen the place Progress has its 3D printing middle. SPI is able to printing layers of solely 3 mm every, in a job field that measures 4 m x 2.5 m x 1 m. The method has been developed to make very correct and detailed free type components, and has been married to post-processing and conveyancing gear.

Explicitly, the corporate says that,

“3D printing within the development trade as an extension of present potentialities and never as a revolution in concrete manufacturing. 3D printing makes specific sense the place complicated moulds or small batch sizes are required, which may in any other case solely be produced at nice expense. Purposes which have already been realized embody façades, balconies, formwork and particular prefabricated components.”

The corporate additionally said that the method is “No competitors for 3D concrete printing on the development web site. In distinction to the widespread picture of 3D printing homes straight on the development web site, the Progress Group is specializing in the manufacturing of precast concrete components within the manufacturing unit. This technique provides quite a few benefits reminiscent of working independently of the climate, higher high quality management and optimized working circumstances.”

It’s all the time very comforting when corporations enter the fray by qualifying their providing, slightly than screaming inanities on the high of their lungs. Onsite 3D printed precast components may, in and of themselves, be critically impactful within the constructing trade. In a 2022 article we identified that for these chasing revenue and income, precast customized components in low volumes might be much more enticing. On the identical time, I echo Progress’s level right here in saying that there might be progress in onsite 3D printing (particularly for distant areas in my thoughts), however concurrently and individually, there is also progress in precast. In some circumstances I’d say that they might compete, however these are each immense markets that may be addressed. A small storage may higher be made in a manufacturing unit, whereas a big tank might not be transportable by street; maybe that will be higher printed on-site. In the meantime, each approaches compete with billions in invested capital in doing issues the outdated methods.

The large innovation right here is thru creating a big construct quantity binder jetting course of. That, coupled with a construct field and a conveyancing collection of machines, allows hereto unseen accuracy and throughput in detailed components. I reached out to Progress to grasp extra concerning the course of. Every 3 mm layer is injected with a cloth by way of inkjet nozzles, utilizing the scalability and accuracy of inkjet in a large-format method. Initially, 1 to three mm of dry sand is injected, and paste is then selectively injected. Unbound materials is a help materials that may be recycled.

The corporate advised me that the “contour is fashioned by the focused intrusion of the paste.” Uniquely, “overhangs and delicate buildings are doable as a result of the encircling particle mattress serves as an built-in help construction.” On this method, “Freely formed elements might be realized, which might be troublesome or very expensive to provide utilizing standard concrete development.” As with different applied sciences, this skips the formwork steps. It will get attention-grabbing when “With appropriate cement paste and excessive void filling, compressive strengths of as much as 78 MPa after 7 days have been achieved.” That in and of itself is exceptional, however Progress says the completed components even have “robust efficiency in freeze-thaw resistance, de-icing salt resistance, and carbonation resistance, similar to conventionally produced concrete.”

Binder jet automated development components have beforehand had an Achilles heel, which has been that the binder and construct materials exhibit totally different traits when frozen. Once I was with Materialise in 2011, former CEO Fried Vancraen would all the time have folks put 3D printed development components exterior and on the roof, and they’d invariably break if there was any frost. If Progress has solved this subject, they might very effectively be on their method to making an actual breakthrough right here in 3D printed development. Increased accuracy and element, coupled with throughput, may actually make this a device for use at scale by its purchasers. I actually assume that that is probably the most thrilling information I’ve heard in 3D printed development in a few years, and hope to see extra of Progress’s progress in making this a broadly used 3D printing know-how globally.