MIT News September 24, 2024
There is minimal research on the additive manufacturing (AM) viability to produce structural building components, which could reduce tooling costs and increase flexibility for their production. A team of researchers in the US (MIT, industry) has provided design, manufacturing, and experimental testing to assess the feasibility of using glass AM to produce interlocking masonry units for the construction industry. Their glass 3D printer could print a maximum volume for producing full-size masonry units. They discussed how to adapt design guidelines for glass AM to produce interlocking units, evaluated fabrication ease and structural performance using three fabrication methods; Fully Hollow, Print-Cast, and Fully Printed. They compared the accuracy, repeatability, and structural capacity of each masonry unit, geometric analysis, surface roughness, and conducted mechanical testing. Results demonstrated that Fully Hollow masonry units provide a more immediate path to implementation, while Fully Printed units have the potential to provide an entirely glass, transparent, and circular building component fabrication method… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Printed on graphite roughness profile. Credit: Glass Structures and Engineering, 16 September, 2024