New Technology Put to use – a 3D-Printed Castle!

3D printing is an extremely cool concept – some people enjoy printing weapons, others like to make food and there are some really practical applications such as fighting against disability. But why not take it one step further – who doesn’t want to live in a castle?!

Andrey Rudenko from Minnesota is an architect who has taken a liking towards 3D printing, so much so that he’s spent months designing and building this masterpiece. Starting this project in April, Rudenko decided he wanted to set the bar for 3D-printed homes.

This kind of printing has previously encountered some scrutiny, with similar projects to this have been carried out in China. With all new building and architectural technology, the question of stability and longevity of materials is often asked. In an interview with 3DPrint, Rudenko said:

“It has been two years since I first began toying with the idea of a 3D printer that was capable of constructing homes. While testing the printer, I ran into obstacles (such as the nightmare of the extruder clogging) and discovered even further abilities of the printer, like that it can print much more than 50cm a day as I originally thought. I was able to calibrate the machine so that it prints nearly perfect layers now, and I played with various heights and widths of the cement layers.”

Rudenko’s printer uses layers on concrete measuring 10mm high by 30mm wide, allowing him to create this amazingly detailed castle. Often 3D concrete printers can make quite crude and uneven projects, but this one seems like a massive success.

As the technology develops, 3D printing is becoming cheaper and more mainstream. When they become feasible for the ‘average’ public to start purchasing them freely – what will you start making?

Images courtesy of 3DPrint