The Sand 3D Printer

Sand and Sunlight Produce a Sustainable Building Material

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After the Laser Comes Concentrated Solar Power

An initial prototype of the sand-based 3D printer is already in Fiedler and Drewke’s office at the IPH. For now, however, they are still using a laser instead of sunlight. The prototype already demonstrates, however, that sand can be melted layer by layer using the chosen process. The first additively manufactured test specimens also exist. The resulting building material was tested by the Material Testing Institute in Hannover as part of a compressive strength test. The institute certified that it has very high strength, well within the range of high-strength wall construction materials. The next step, however, is technically much more challenging: In the future, the sand is to be melted using concentrated sunlight. To achieve this, the optics, process control, and 3D printing process—among other things—must be further developed and coordinated, which, according to the founders, still requires a great deal of development work. Parallel to the technical development, the team is preparing for a potential startup. The two founders are already participating in startup support programs offered by Venturevilla and Leibniz University Hannover. In addition, they are currently working on various grant applications and are applying for funding from the Exist Research Transfer program, among others.

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