“We print architecture’s future”: WinSun makes a revolution in construction industry
Everyone probably knows WinSun. It is the company that has printed ten small buildings within 24 hours in 2014, showing enormous opportunities of additive technologies in the construction sector in such a unique way. Over the previous three years, the company has been rapidly developing and continuing to surprise the audience, printing extremely complicated architecture items.
Company’s slogan is “We print architecture’s future”. And it’s true. WinSun gradually makes a real revolution in the construction industry. While other companies doubt whether 3D printing will be able to replace traditional construction ways, the Chinese believe that additive technologies will be commonly used in large-scale construction projects. Ma Yi He, the founder of WinSun, jokingly said that Donald Trump should have used a 3D printer in order to construct the fence between the USA and Mexico three- or four-fold faster and 60% cheaper.
WinSun’s construction technology is pretty simple: buildings are printed in blocks that are assembled in the one-piece construction. The operational concept of the constructive 3D printer is a top secret. The access to it is available only for the company staff that has passed compulsory training and signed the non-disclosure agreement. Nevertheless, there is information that WinSun additive machine is a portal 3D printer with 150 × 10 × 6.5 m dimension.
The founder said that the company obtained around 130 international patents on its developments, including the patent on a special construction of a printing head and unique set of composite materials. Due to many uncommon solutions, the WinSun 3D printer can create a wide variety of architecture objects with high digitalization of initial 3D patterns.
According to Ma, additive construction allows to reduce the amount of waste by 30-60% and terms by 50-70%. Besides, the process can involve less than half employees unlike the traditional one. Consequently, the higher costs for wages are, the higher is cost-cutting when using 3D equipment. Moreover, the company produces consumable materials of processed waste and fragments of knocked down buildings. Printing requires special quaking concrete, glass fiber-reinforced plastic, allowing buildings even to get through small earthquakes.
WinSun’s recent successful projects include: erection of the five-storied house within a month, construction of two cottages with inner yards in two days, creation of the modern office in Dubai where one can also build 17 huge constructions. WinSun often get orders for constructing small architecture objects: public transport stops, public toilets etc. Besides, the company produces unique furniture and interior design items. Recently, Elon Musk has ordered posts and seats for Hyperloop capsules.
WinSun has proven that 3D printing can become a perfect tool for fast, reliable, eco-friendly, and cost-efficient construction.
