The British company Rapid Fusion has reached an important milestone in additive manufacturing in collaboration with the Italian start-up Nanoo. The ZEUS 3D robotic system was used to produce complex concrete molds for table legs for an Italian furniture manufacturer. These molds were created in just a few days, significantly faster than conventional production, which takes almost two weeks.
The technology combines large-format 3D printing with an integrated CNC milling tool, resulting in high precision. At the same time, sustainability is increased through the use of recycled PET-G materials. This approach demonstrates how 3D printing can optimize the production of bespoke shapes in the construction industry – an area traditionally characterized by high costs and limited flexibility.
“Construction is an industry facing increased pressure to innovate, optimise costs and reduce environmental impact…switching to additive manufacturing for some of its moulds helps them deliver on these objectives,” explained Martin Wood, Director of Sales at Rapid Fusion. We have proven with our partners at Nanoo that large-format robotic 3D printing offers a faster, more sustainable, and cost-effective solution to the challenges faced by traditional concrete mould production.”
He continued: “Another key benefit is the reduction of waste, with those made from composites often producing a lot of excess, not to mention the moulds being discarded after use and the environmental degradation that then occurs. 3D printing uses recycled materials and can be reused once the mould is done with. That’s a massive sustainable benefit for construction.”
The reusability of the molds was examined in initial tests. Initial results show that they could survive over 100 uses without maintenance, further improving efficiency and sustainability.
Wood continued: “Automotive, aerospace, medical and renewables have all been sectors traditionally suited to what additive manufacturing can deliver. We knew this could be transferred to the world of construction and, thanks to our first deal with Nanoo, we are producing complex moulds being used in real world applications. In fact, our Italian friends have been that impressed with the results they have just signed on the dotted line to take delivery of a ZEUS system, one of the first in the world to be deployed.”
The partnership with Nanoo allows advanced materials such as ultra-high performance concretes (UHPCs) and specific release agents to be tested.
Mirko Scaburri, founder of Nanoo, added his support: “This is an interesting partnership that is working because we are playing to each other’s technical strengths in exploring how we can design and manufacture concrete moulds using large format 3D printing. Now that Rapid Fusion has created ZEUS, we have the ability to print and then CNC mill away any excess layers, which could have been a barrier. Instead, the customer now gets a mould exactly the way they want it, in days rather than weeks and at a comparable cost.”
Scaburri concluded: “I work with a lot of big construction companies and architects and this technology is really creating waves in the sector. The latter especially like the additional design geometries they can achieve with additive manufacturing – that is a big sell for them. A lot of our work is in R&D and pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Working with Nanoo, we have developed a positive mould solution that has the potential to transform the construction industry.”
Rapid Fusion plans to develop the technology further. With the ZEUS system and the combination of 3D printing and CNC machining, a platform is being created that could have a lasting impact not only on the construction industry, but also on other sectors.
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