Apis Cor slashes build time, cost, and labor.
Russian-based 3D printing startup, Apis Cor, just set a record. In December, they became known as the first company to build a house using the world’s first mobile 3D printer. They 3D printed 409 square feet (38 square meters) of infrastructure onsite, an accomplishment Apis Cor is exclusively laying claim to.
Mobile 3D printer prints the house’s foundation autonomously.
How long did the home take? Less than 24 hours. How much did the house cost? A cool $10,134 dollars (or $275 per square foot). What does that look like in savings? Compared to conventional construction methods, Apis Cor saved 70% in total. For a comprehensive breakdown, the company allocated funds respectively:
- Foundation- $277
- Walls- $1,624
- Floor & Roof- $2,434
- Wiring- $242
- Windows & Doors- $3,548
- Exterior Finishing- $831
- Interior Finishing (Including suspending ceiling)- $1,178
Apis Cor says building a square house using their mobile 3D printer and materials of an average price category would be even cheaper ($223 per square foot to be exact). The ability to 3D print infrastructure onsite is a true advantage the company is tapping into. What can typically take up to two months to complete is achievable in one day with the elimination of equipment, tools, and a marginal amount of human error. As an added benefit, the home is sustainable for up to 174 years.
So what does a home 3D printed in just 24 hours onsite look like?
The small house has an impressive six rooms, complete with a hall, bathroom, living room, and a compact fully functional kitchen. Outfitted with appliances from Samsung, the home is not lacking in modernity, either.
Nikita Chen-yun-tai, inventor of the mobile 3D printer and founder of Apis Cor, says his pursuit to automate everything comes from his desire to help people globally improve their living conditions. That’s why, he says, construction processes need to become better, faster, more efficient, and high-quality. According to Chen-yun-tai, “For this to happen we need to delegate all the hard work to smart machines.”
Mobile 3D printer completes house as workers finish details.
3D printing in construction is not a passing fad. It’s not a technology that can be easily overlooked, either. Construction companies looking to grow and profit from technology need to start factoring 3D printing into their plans as an actionable variable.
And while it can be daunting, solutions to implementation exist. A good technology consulting company with a dedicated research and development team can take any construction company towards where they need to go. And a little extra research into how technology can work for you can be just enough to spark the interest a company needs to start taking technology serious.
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