3D printed homes
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printing is a simple method to conceptualize when it comes to 3D printing. It is easy to picture a print head moving in the x, y, and z directions, depositing material in layers. For the examples used in this book, the material was melted plastic that cooled into a solid soon after leaving the print head. The right combination of temperature to melt the plastic, the speed at which to extrude the melted plastic, the temperature of the print bed, and the speed at which to move the print head and bed make FDM printing possible.
It's not hard to imagine that to print larger objects, a bigger printer is required. To print an object the size of a house would require something like what we see in Figure 10.1:
Figure 10.1 – Large 3D printer printing a house
Instead of extruding plastic, the printer in Figure 10.1 extrudes concrete and builds the frame of a house one layer at a time. Space is left for the...