3d printer real

Three-dimensional printers are the wave of the future. They are already changing the way some products are manufactured and what can be printed is now only limited to our imagination. Most people are thinking small, but a company in China is thinking big, as big as a house…actually, literally a house! Once these houses pass the requisite safety checks, a massive number of people could be living in 3-D printed houses in only a few short years!

There has been a lot of buzz about 3-D printers lately. Already, some pretty amazing things are being printed, like machine parts, food, guns and clothing. Soon, there will be a day when you can simply pull blueprints from the internet and manufacture whatever you want right in your own home. That’s only one small step away from being able to tell a printer, “Tea, Earl Grey, hot.”

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However, you don’t have to think small. A business in Shanghai announced six-meter (20-foot) tall houses built using a huge 3-D printer.

The WinSun Decorating Design Engineering Co, is utilizing a specially designed cement made from a mixture of scrap wood and glass fibers. This cement is layered repeatedly to form the walls. After it sets, windows and a roof are added to complete the house. Thanks to the innovative process, these houses can be built at half the price of current construction costs in China, at less than 500,000 yen (US$5,000).

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Using this method, the company prints about 10 houses in one day. And although safety inspections haven’t been made yet, the company’s president is confident in these new houses, saying, “our houses that are made by the 3-D printer are not only strong but also environmentally friendly. I believe that they will be widely used within the next five years.”

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Even though these houses might not be much to look at, any home owner knows, it’s what’s on the inside that counts!

Source: Himajin Sokuho
Images: Wikipedia, China View
Video: YouTube (China View)