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3D concrete printing beyond boundaries
Scawo is a patented innovation for customising concrete staircases from prefabricated formwork. Developed using the latest 3D print technologies, Scawo allows us to tailor each staircase to the client’s individual needs.
Over the last few decades, construction techniques for concrete staircases have seen no significant development. This is why about ten years ago we came up with the idea of digitalising the entire staircase construction process, from design to production. In the following years, our cooperation with various partners from the fields of research and industry led to the development of the first print head for Sorel cement.
However, Sorel cement has a narrower spectrum of application compared to concrete. To overcome this limitation, Scawo3D continued investing in research. Our effort bore fruit in 2021, when we patented the world’s first 3D inkjet print head for concrete.
Although originally designed for printing concrete staircases, this innovation has opened up a host of new possible applications, paving the way to a wider range of innovative products and processes. As a result, we can now print 3D models in any shape. Unlike conventional concrete manufacturing techniques, Scawo only requires a digital template for printing, leaving free rein to creativity.
As the inventor of the first print head for cement paste, SCAWO3D is at the forefront of large-format 3D concrete printing (3DCP). Any free-form geometry can now be produced thanks to this technological innovation. From stairs through load-bearing building components and interior design objects, SCAWO3D enhances the value chain of today's construction industry through digital design methods and on-demand production.
Thanks to a print bed with dimensions of 4 x 2.5 x 1.5 metres (equivalent to 15 cubic meters), large components with a precision of 3 millimetres are no longer a problem.
Thanks to computational design methods, we are able to produce any staircase geometry digitally. This minimises planning effort and allows the 3D-printed staircase to be manufactured and delivered to site on time and in budget.
Together with partners from industry and research – Skeno, Timo Harboe and the Centre for Building Materials at TUM – we are working on computational and parametric workflows for designing and exploring new staircase designs. We are also interested in testing our printed materials and introducing new materials.
Not only stairs or load-bearing components can be produced using the SPI process, but also design objects of all kinds. For both indoor and outdoor use, 3D printing by SPI can oftentimes be a good and economical option for complex geometric shapes.
All we need for printing your geometry is a 3D file in any standard format. Soon after, you will be able to marvel at your parts in 3D-printed concrete!