The world’s first 3D printed bridge will be in Amsterdam, and it will be made by Dutch start-up MX3D, which gives the project its name. MX3D is the name of the start-up, the bridge, and the robot that will build it.
The world’s first 3D printed bridge will be built in Amsterdam by Dutch start-up MX3D. This ambitious project began in October and is due to be completed in 2017. Technically, the idea is quite simple: it all began with the MX3D robot, a mechanical arm that can extrude and weld any kind of shape made of metal or resin. What is unusual about the arm is its ability to move around over the object it has just printed. This allows the robot to proceed toward the centre of the construction as extrusion and welding advances.
The bridge will span the Oudezijds Achterburgwal, one of the most central canals in the Dutch capital, and will be called the MX3D Bridge, after the robot and the start-up that created it. In the worlds of the bridge’s designer, Joris Laarman: " 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". According to Maurice Conti, head of strategic innovation at Autodesk, a partner in the implementation of the project, "MX3D has the potential to revolutionise the state of 3D printing".
Francesco Cibati
For more information: https://youtu.be/pZNTzkAR1Ho
Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Design: MX3D - http://mx3d.com/
Designer: Joris Laarman – MX3D
Photos: Adriaan De Groot – MX3D
Video: Anita Star – MX3D
Partner: Autodesk, Heijmans, ArcelorMittal;
Sponsors: Air Liquide, ABB robotics, STV, Delcam, Lenovo, Oerlikon, UL, Plymovent, Maxibel, Desso;
Public partners: TU Delft, AMS Fieldlab, Municipality of Amsterdam.
