Back in 2015, the Dutch company MX3D decided to transfer through the Odezijds Achterburgwal channel in the historical part of Amsterdam a pedestrian bridge of a fundamentally new design. It was originally planned that innovative welding robots in the millimeter will “print” the structure right on the spot, literally building a crossing above the water. But for organizational reasons, the bridge had to be made separately, although on the same principle.
MX3D-metal welding robots work as elements of a 3D printer-a working nozzle places a drop of molten metal at the right point, and when it cools down, adds one more and one more. Several cars can work together, alternately adding drops and thereby “printing” a metal product of an arbitrary shape. Sopel positioning accuracy is so great that it allows robots to create a structure with arbitrarily complex architecture.
This is the four MX3D-Metal robots and have been engaged for six months, a drop of metal printing a designed pedestrian bridge. It has 12.5 m lengths and 6.3 m width, 4,500 kg of stainless steel, and the total length of all openwork parts exceeds 1100 km. The bridge is printed without the use of forests, supports and other auxiliary mechanisms, simply due to the movement of drops of metal in space.
Now the structure is subjected to various tests, including for structural strength. In case of success in Amsterdam will become one attraction more. The project is advertising in nature, its authors want to show the scope and potential of the new technology, therefore, the cost of work is not mentioned.
Source — MX3D