Stage 3D printing plant
Automation technology

Motion and Safety for the first on-site printed building in Poland

July 24, 2023

Customer: REbuild
Partner: ASTOR
Application: large-size 3d printing for construction purposes
Product: 3D concrete printer

 

Since the 1980’s we can observe the dynamic development of additive manufacturing technologies. Most of them are used for prototyping and creating small details in a wide spectrum of branches such as medicine, automotive or food industry. It can reduce time-consuming and costly steps in production in complex geometries. But what if we applied such solution for a construction purpose in large-size 3d printer, integrating all the servomotors with the newest Berghof devices? The question has already been answered by the team of engineers from REbuild, supported with our Polish Partner ASTOR.

REbuild is a company that consists of experienced engineers who wants to reconstruct the way of building, a fresh startup dedicated to introducing 3D Printing technology for the construction industry. The REbuild team has solutions for construction issues like reinforcement, formworks, supports, thermal insulation or complicated wall shapes, focusing on automation of those processes. On top of that company owns know-how of recycling technology to reuse raw materials in the process of building. Their solutions decrease construction time and costs by half.

As a long-term partner of Berghof Automation, Astor’s goal is to support the development of both OEM and R&D projects. In this case, the main goal was to integrate 16 servomotors with custom superior system and safety devices. REbuild was searching for a flexible solution, that would help them support integration with open programming standard with a wide range of communication protocols, easy-to-use interface tested and verified in a field of CNC machinery.

The heart of the system is the newest PLC in Berghof offer – MC Pi-Prime modular PLC and safety PLC module SC-1000 for machine safety. Using PLC with EtherCat as a communication protocol, helps to achieve quick reaction time and precise control for positioning. The possibility of programming both numerous and safety controllers in one open environment is a great convenience for automation engineers and helps shorten the time of implementation. Furthermore, the Raspberry Pi-based system is suitable for the company as a part of the development of their superior system and integration purposes.

Thanks to the cooperation and mixing experiences in the field of linear control of both Astor and REbuild, reinforced by Berghof Automation devices we are witnessing innovation in the branch of civil engineering and additive manufacturing.